古フランス語 principal, chief, most important, 校長, 学部長, 王子, 小国の君主.
古フランス語 principal, chief, most important から、ラテン語 principalis, most important から、 princeps, king, ruler, chief から、語源的には prince と同じ。
英語の語源
principal (adj.)
c. 1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal "main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.), from Latin principalis "first in importance; original, primitive," from princeps "first man, chief, leader" (see prince).
principal (n.)
c. 1300, "ruler, governor;" also "main part;" from principal (adj.) or from or influenced by noun uses in Old French and Latin. From mid-14c. in the sense of "money on which interest is paid;" 1827 as "person in charge of a public school," though meaning "head of a college or hall" was in English from mid-15c.
例文
1. The two principal combusion products are water vapor and carbon dioxide.
2つの主な燃焼生成物は水蒸気と二酸化炭素である。
2.City 's principal marksman was Joe Harvey who scored seventeen goals.
市チームのトップ射手は17ゴールを決めたジョー?ハーヴィーだ。
3.The students passed a motion of no-confidence in the college principal .
生徒たちは校長に対する不信投票の動議を可決した。
4.Donald King is the principal of Dartmouth High School.
ドナルド?キングはダートマス中学校の校長。
5.Stoppard had to recast four of the principal roles.