latter-day

The compound "latter-day" is a native English formation, built from the comparative adjective "latter" and the noun "day." "Latter," meaning "later" or "second of two," originates from the Old English comparative form of "late," which itself has Proto-Germanic roots. "Day" stems from the common Old English term for a 24-hour cycle, with deep Proto-Indo-European ancestry related to concepts of burning and daylight. The phrase "latter days" historically appeared in religious contexts, such as Christian eschatology, to refer to the final period of world history. By the 19th century, "latter-day" was lexicalized as a hyphenated adjective, its meaning extending from "belonging to the recent or final period" to specifically describe modern revivals or analogues of earlier phenomena, most notably in the term "Latter-day Saints."

Structure: latter (later) + day (time period) - latter: From Old English lætra, comparative of læt ("late"). Its functional role is as an adjective meaning "more recent" or "belonging to the end of a period." - day: From Old English dæg ("day, period of 24 hours"). Its functional role is as a noun, here used in a compound to denote a period or era.