secundary

Secundary is a nonstandard or archaic variant of the English adjective secondary. In contemporary English, the correct form is secondary, and secundary is rarely used except in historical texts, typographical errors, or limited proper nouns. The word shares the same Latin roots and the same general meanings as secondary: following in order, subordinate, or of lesser or second rank.

Etymology and history: The term derives from Latin secundus meaning “following” or “second.” In the history of English, spellings such as secundary, secundarie, and other -ary forms appeared in Early Modern English but fell out of use as standardized spelling shifted toward secondary by the 18th and 19th centuries. Some 16th–18th century grammars and dictionaries note secundary as an obsolete variant.

Current usage: In modern academic, technical, or journalistic writing, secundary is generally treated as a misspelling or archaic variant. Readers might encounter it in archival documents, OCRed texts, or as a fictional or stylistic choice in literature. If precision matters, the preferred term is secondary, with its senses including secondary education, secondary effects, and secondary importance.

See also: secondary; Secundus; Latin-derived English spellings.