Recent
/ˈriː.sənt/noun
Having happened, begun, or been done not long ago.
Did you know?Recent comes from Latin recens, a word for things that are fresh, raw, or newly made, and its deeper Indo-European root is tied to “scraping” or “wounding,” as if newness itself once meant exposed, unhealed, and still alive.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kreu-
“To strike, cut, or scrape, with the sense of something freshly exposed or raw.”
Latin
Latin
recens
“Fresh, new, recent, raw, or untried.”
Late Latin
Latin
recentem
“Fresh, newly made, or lately occurring.”
Old French
Old French
recent
“Recent, fresh, newly happened.”
Middle English
English
recent
“Lately occurring or newly done.”
Modern English
English
recent
“Having happened, begun, or been done not long ago.”