Throughout their history, Märklin has often offered products or complete programes which got a name of their own. So Primex is not a single case.

What's remarkable on this is the common use of names endig on "-ex". There have been several discussions about what these names are meaning oder where they come from i.e. their word formation. However Märklin has never given any information about that, so one can only speculate and try to interpret the meaning of these names. There have been in use (and sometimes are still) in use names like "Relex", "Telex", "Antex", "Minex" or "Elex".

On way would be a Latin (or even Greek) origin of the prefixes, for example "minus" (smal, few) , "primus" (the first or the best one), "tele" (distant, from a distance), "re" (back, backwards...) sowie "ante(x)" (before).

So the "Telex"-coupler can be interpreted as a remote-controlled coupler for example, or Primex as s programe for beginners ("the first one").

Minex was a smaller made version of Märklin's metal construction kits - MINiatur EXperimentierbaukasten, translated to english that means "miniature experimentation kit". The "-ex" would stand for "Experimentierkasten" in this case. When the name was used for a Oe narrow gauge railway later on, the original meaning was insignificant, the more important aspect was certainly fuerther use of an already existing name. The same case as with the "-ex" ending which was later used for couplers' names.

"Elex" was an electrical construction kit during the 1930ies; but the name was still used until the 1970ies for the electrical motor which was offered for the metal construction kits. So "Elex" means "Elektro-Experimentierkasten" - on english "electrical experimentation kit".

However the name "Marbi" is in fact a German word formation and could mean "Märklin billig" - on English: cheap Märklin. This was the name for a simplified metal construction kit. Today "billig" stands more for low - or bad - quality, but in those days it meant getting something for a good price.

Note: the name "Primex" was used for the first time in the Märklin catalogue of 1968. Then the loop and hook coupler without the advance uncoupler tab was called "Primex Coupler".