Yes, diaries and letters from the 1800s can be considered primary sources when used in historical research. If they have been published in a recent book that is a collection of such materials, they retain their status as primary sources, providing firsthand accounts of life in the 1880s.
Primary sources provide firsthand accounts or information about a person's life, such as diaries, letters, photographs, or official records. They offer direct insight into the thoughts, experiences, and interactions of the individual, allowing for a more authentic and unfiltered understanding of their life. Researchers use primary sources to piece together a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of a person's life.
Randy Rhoads: A Life, by David A. Bene, c.2005
Bio is a prefix meaning "life." Bene is a prefix meaning "good."
It can be your primary doctor or a doctor that the life insurance company chooses.
primary
Life
During the life cycle of a beef tapeworm, a human becomes the primary host.
The motto of Leopold Primary School is 'Learning for Life'.
The Sun.
life
he wrote a totsll of 478 letters