primaveral — an adjective meaning “relating to early springtime”
primaveral — the Spanish cognate of the same meaning
When I taught Spanish, the months of the year were easy for students to remember because all of them, except January/Enero, are cognate duos, but the four words for the seasons were difficult for them to remember because they don’t look anything like our English words. Some students had heard of a dish called pasta primavera, and they would pretend it was something you could only eat in the Spring, so they could remember that “primavera” was the Spanish word for “spring.”
The “primavera” of pasta primavera does refer to springtime, though, so they were right to make the connection. “Primavera” comes from two Latin words that relate to the early springtime — prīmō vēre "in the early spring." The Italians added the word to a dish in which there are vegetables that give the dish a sense of springtime.
English created “primaveral” from the Spanish word of “primavera” for “spring” and made an adjective of the word. Our word of “spring” has come down to us in a direct line from Old English which took it from Old German.
We also have the word “vernal” in English and its direct cognate in Spanish. This word is also an adjective meaning “relating to or occurring in the springtime.” It’s more commonly used in English than “primaveral” is, and it has the added meaning of “youthful” as in comparing someone to the springtime when things are new and young. You’ll see it used to refer to the “vernal equinox,” which will occur this year on March 20th.
Then I will have a “primaveral” party to usher in the springtime because I’m so tired of winter.
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Thanks.
Tammy Marshall
Primaveral