adjective
also pri·mae·val (ˈ)prīˈmēvəl
Etymology: Latin primaev us of the first period of life (from primus first + aevum age) + English -al — more at prime , aye
: of or relating to the earliest ages of the world or human history : aboriginal , primitive
had lapsed into nearly its primeval state of wilderness — Nathaniel Hawthorne
a splendid primeval rustic figure — Osbert Lancaster
• pri·me·val·ly -vəlē, -li adverb