modernist

The word 'modernist' is a compound formed within English from the existing adjective 'modern' and the agent suffix '-ist'. 'Modern' itself originates from the Late Latin modernus, meaning "of the present time," which derives from the Latin adverb modo ("just now, only"). The suffix '-ist' entered English via Latin from Greek, denoting a person associated with a particular practice or doctrine. Thus, a 'modernist' literally means "one concerned with what is modern," a term that crystallized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to specifically describe proponents of radical breaks from traditional forms in the arts and culture.

Structure: modern (recent) + ist (one who practices) - modern: From Latin modernus ("just now, of present time"), from modo ("just now, only"). Functions as the core adjective/root. - ist: From Greek -istēs (agent noun suffix), via Latin -ista. Functions as a noun-forming suffix meaning "a person who practices or is concerned with something."