## Meanings
1. The person in charge of a school.
2. Most important; main.
3. The original amount of money invested or borrowed, before interest is added.

## Examples
- Naughty students were sent to the principal's office.
- Tourism is the principal source of income for the island.
- Part of each loan payment reduces the principal and the rest covers interest.

## Derived Forms
- coprincipal
- nonprincipal
- principalism
- principalist
- principalness
- subprincipal
- unprincipal
- vice-principal

## Related Forms
- prince
- principality
- principally
- principalship
- principle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *keh₂p-
- Root: principal
- Root: prīncipālis

## Etymology
From Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis.

## AI Etymology
Principal comes from Middle English principal, from Old French principal, from Latin prīncipālis. The historical chain includes *keh₂p- (Proto-Indo-European), principal (Middle English), principal (Old French), prīncipālis (Latin). In present-day English it covers the person in charge of a school, most important; main, and the original amount of money invested or borrowed, before interest is added. The wider family includes derived forms such as coprincipal, nonprincipal, principalism, principalist, principalness and related forms such as prince, principality, principally, principalship.

## Topics
- Numbers & Quantity

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