English
protomodern
From proto- + modern.
Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’
English proto-
Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’
…
Latin modus ‘measure’
Latin modo ‘just now’
Late Latin modernus
Middle French moderne ‘modern’
English modern
Today it means
adj Of an earlier style approaching what is now modern.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / protomodern