Where does “premodern” come from?
Modern derives from Middle French moderne, from Latin modernus, related to Latin modo meaning "just now," ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots indicating proximity or measure.
premodern (English): Preceding or predating the modern era
Definitions
- Preceding or predating the modern era
Ancestry of “premodern”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | pre- | Before; physically in front of; anterior;... |
| 2 | Middle English | pre- | — |
| 3 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | prai- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “premodern”