As an adjective, it describes something very simple, old-fashioned, or from an early stage of development. As a noun, it can refer to an early human or original form of something.
From Latin *primitivus* meaning 'first of its kind' or 'original', from *primus* 'first'. It entered English through French, keeping the sense of something early or basic.
Calling something 'primitive' usually says more about the speaker’s pride than about history. What looks primitive from far away often turns out to be cleverly adapted to its environment. The word has been used to dismiss people and cultures that didn’t fit Western ideas of 'advanced'.
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