Friday, July 6, 2012

primevil/primeval: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, July 6, 2012

primevil/primeval
The existence of a music group and a comic book using the deliberately punning misspelling “Primevil” helps to further confusion about this word. Something ancient and primitive is “primeval.” The “-eval” sequence comes from a root having to do with ages, as in “medieval.” It has nothing to do with the concept of evil. The word can also be spelled “primaeval.”


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