Where does “postmodernity” come from?
Postmodernity derives from English postmodern, which combines the prefix post- with modern, from Middle French moderne, ultimately from Latin modo meaning "just now" or "in a certain manner," with the abstract noun suffix -itas.
postmodernity (English): The state or condition of being postmodern;...
Definitions
- The state or condition of being postmodern;...
Ancestry of “postmodernity”, step by step
postmodernity traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 2 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 3 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 4 | Latin | probāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | probō | to approve, permit, commend |
| 6 | Latin | Probus | good, serviceable, excellent, superior, able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro-bhwo- | being in front, prominent |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English modernity
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | modernity | The quality of being modern or contemporary;... |
| 2 | English | -ity | Used to form a noun from an adjective;... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ite | — |
| 4 | Old French | -ité | -ity |
| 5 | Latin | -itās | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ts | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -teh₂ | Used to form nouns representing state of being |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tós | Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems |