Where does “modern” come from?

Modern comes from Middle French moderne, from Latin modernus, derived from Latin modo meaning "just now" or "recently."

modern (English): Pertaining to a current or recent time and style;...

Definitions

modern traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle French	moderne	modern; current; contemporary
2	Latin	modernus	modern
3	Latin	-rnus	suffix forming adjectives

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	French	moderne	modern
2	Medieval Latin	modernus	modern
3	Latin	modo	just, only, merely, simply; recently, just now;...