Any bad connotation for "primitivo" like in English for primitive?

Question

Seems primitivo and original are synonyms in Spanish. In a show I heard, "el sistema primitivo" to refer to the original system. I could tell he meant the original system and not the primitive system, and it was no insult. Is primitivo insulting in Spanish, or just a direct synonym of original except when talking about primitive people etc.... ? Gracias.

Answer 1

Primitivo means primitive. That "sistema primitivo" sounds strange to me,but the RAE seems to validate it. For what it's worth, here's what the RAE says:

primitivo, va. (Del lat. primit?vus).

1. adj. Primero en su línea, o que no tiene ni toma origen de otra cosa.

2. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a los orígenes o primeros tiempos de algo.

3. adj. Se dice de los pueblos aborígenes o de civilización poco desarrollada, así como de los individuos que los componen, de su misma civilización o de las manifestaciones de ella. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s. m.

4. adj. Rudimentario, elemental, tosco.

5. adj. Esc. y Pint. Se dice del artista y de la obra artística pertenecientes a épocas anteriores a las que se consideran clásicas dentro de una civilización o ciclo, y en especial de los artistas y obras del Occidente europeo anteriores al Renacimiento o a su influjo. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s. m.

6. adj. Gram. Dicho de una palabra: Que no se deriva de otra de la misma lengua.

To me, this is pretty much the same way the word works en English.

Answer 2

Another non-derogatory use I've just come across:

"Este distrito antiguo tiene el nomenclatór más primitivo del pueblo"

This ancient district has the most "primitive" nomenclature of the town - i.e. the district with the largest number of original street names.

Answer 3

I agree with Gekkosan, although the telenovela is set in Madrid in the 1950's, 'primitivo' was certainly used in an insulting way by a very rude man to the Guatemalan ambassador, and also I think (if I caught it correctly) the word 'indio'.

And look at this thread. indio has a derogatory meaning..

Sorry jeezzle I digressed, you may already know about 'indio' - galsally, Sep 12, 2010

Answer 4

Well, they were going to install the same operating system on a computer, that computer had lost the original system. It was not a primitive system. They were the installing the exact same system on it and they said "el sistima primitivo" for the original but corrupted system. In English it's very, very insulting to call something or somewhat primitive, unless talking about apes or something. It basically means "stupid, moron, slow, brain of a neanderthal" and if I said a computer was primitive it would mean it was garbage. That's why I'm wondering if there is any negative connotation to the word in Spanish, you seem to indicate that "original" would be more used for original than primitivo though, is that right? There are not direct synonyms? Gracias.

Edit: the computer in question is brand new and not primitive in any way.

That is not right. Personally, I'd use "sistema original" instead of primitivo. May be a regional use. And yes, in Spanish if you call someone primitive, as the RAE indicates, they may understand you're calling them "rudimentary", "underdeveloped", "rude" - Gekkosan, Aug 28, 2010