primum mobile

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English primum mobile (“outermost celestial sphere causing other spheres to move”), borrowed from Medieval Latin prīmum mōbile (literally “first mover”), a calque of Arabic مُحَرِّك أَوَّل (muḥarrik ʔawwal, “first mover”), which is itself a calque of Ancient Greek τὸ πρῶτον κινῆσαν (tò prôton kinêsan, “prime mover”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌpɹaɪməm ˈməʊbɪli/, /ˌpriː-/, /-leɪ/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌpɹaɪməm ˈmoʊbəˌli/ Hyphenation: pri‧mum mo‧bi‧le === Noun === primum mobile (plural primum mobiles or prima mobilia) (astronomy, historical) The outermost celestial sphere of the heavens in Ptolemaic astronomy, which was believed to cause all the inner spheres to rotate. (chiefly philosophy, theology) The prime mover or first cause (“an initial cause from which all other causes and effects follow”). Synonym: primus motor (by extension) The person or thing that is the main impetus for some action; a driving force. ==== Translations ==== === Notes === === References === === Further reading === Primum Mobile on Wikipedia.Wikipedia