I seem to be wrong…
A quick search for ‘etymology cowslip’ learns me this/
“O.E. cu-slyppe, apparently from cu “cow” + slyppe “slop, slobber, dung.”

I would pronounce it cow-slip (as a Brit) but I understood that cowslips were originally thought to grow where cow dung had fallen on the ground so that might well explain the name.

But there’s a different version here:
Cowslip
Primula veris
Family: Primulaceae
Common Names: _{Paigle Peagles Primrose Herb Peter Key Flower Our Lady’s Keys Key of Heaven Herb Peter Primrose}

The origin of Cowslip is a corruption of _{Cow’s Leek} derived from the Anglo-Saxon word _leac meaning a _plant. It is called _{Key Flower} as it resembles _{a bunch of keys,} the emblem of St. Peter. It was also called _{Herb Peter.} According to legend, one day, St. Peter heard a rumor that people were trying to enter heaven by the back door, instead of the front gates of which he holds the key. He was so agitated at this lack of reverence, that he dropped his bunch of keys, which fell to earth, took root and cowslips bloomed which in Germany are known as _{Himmelschlüsselchen,} meaning the _{little keys of heaven.} In Norse mythology the flower was dedicated to Frcya, the Key Virgin. In northern Europe the idea of dedication to the goddess was transferred with the change of religion, and it became dedicated to the Virgin Mary, so it is called _{Our Lady’s Keys} and _{Key of Heaven} and _Keyflower.

The mysterious number of petals represent women. They symbolize birth, consummation and death. It was held sacred by Druids. Primroses were considered fairy flowers in Ireland and Wales. They represented wantonness in England. Fairies love and protect cowslips. Touching a fairy rock with a primrose posy opens the way to fairyland and fairy gifts. Using the wrong number of flowers in the posy spells certain doom. It is used for love spells and for protection. Also for healing and youth to find treasures, especially hidden fairy gold.

The flowers are used for making Cowslip wine. Primrose pottage was made by boiling pounded flowers, honey, almond milk, saffron, rice flour and powdered ginger. It was served garnished with flowers. Leaves are edible, fresh or cooked, made into tea or wine.

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/flowers/c1.html

Lots more information about cowslips here from botanical.com
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/cowsl112.html

As I told in another thread, in Dutch the native Primula’s are all called ‘sleutelbloem’, keyflower…

A poem in Medieval Dutch from Jacob van Maerlant tells us:

“Primula dats een kruut
Tierste dat te lentin coemt uut,
Ende taleerst dat bloemen draghet.
Dit cruut, alsmen ons bhewaget,
Ghedronken met roeden wine,
dats volmaeckte medicine
Ghedroncken in alre noet
Jegent swaer even groet.”

Primula is a herb, a plant,
the first one that appears in spring,
and the first one that bears flowers.
This herb, like it has been told us
drunk with red wine,
is the perfect medicine
Drunk for every illnes
agains even the biggest pain.

I wrote some short texts about primroses on my blog long ago… maybe I’ll translate them one of the next days…

Yes, I do live in the Northern hemisphere…
Yes, it’s nearly fall here…
Yes, in one of my former posts in this thread, I quote the medieval Belgian poet Van Maerlant, saying:
“Primula dats een kruut
Tierste dat te lentin coemt uut,
Ende taleerst dat bloemen draghet."
(Primrose are the first plant to appear in spring, and the very first to bloom)

And yet, when I was mowing my flower meadow with the scythe this morning, I suddenly found this cowslip…

It’s a bit off topic, but it really is a pleasure to mow with a scythe!
My grandfather used to mow his lawn with a scythe…

Last summer I have done a workshop on scythe-mowing, and every Euro I paid for it was well invested. Since I know the proper technique, I even enjoy mowing more. It’s so relaxing (honestly!)

My polyanthus in the polyanthus garden were covered in snow for a almost a week but it has now all melted. I’m half expecting to find blooms in the next few days. I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

I’d love to grow cowslips, but they don’t seem to be as popular in the US as in Europe. If anyone has some seeds to swap, please message me. Or anyone in the US who has plants to swap. A person I traded with was supposed to have sent me some seeds last year but they grew out to be drumstick primroses instead. Very pretty, but I really wanted cowslip.

The cowslip hybrids are blooming. This is Primula veris Sunset Shades.