An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

1) Of, belonging to, or occurring at a time immediately before the present.
2) Geology: Of, belonging to, or denoting the Holocene Epoch.

From L. recentem (nominative recens) "fresh, new, young," from → re- + PIE root *ken- "fresh, new, young;" cf. Av. kainika-, kanya- "young girl;" Mod.Pers. kaniz(ak) "maid, virigin, girl; a female slave;" Mid.Pers. kanig, kanizag "girl, maid;" Gk. kainos "new;" Skt. kanina- "young;" Old Irish cetu- "first;" O.C.S. koni "beginning."

Tarné, from Tabari tarné "fresh, new, young, recent" (tarné mâr "fresh mother," i.e. "animal that has just given birth," tarné guk "recently born calf"), related to Pers. tar "fresh, young; wet," tarké "sprout;" Mid.Pers. tarr "fresh, moist;" Proto-Ir. *tarna-; cf. Av. tauruna- "young, fresh; young boy, lad;" Skt. táruna- "young, fresh;" Gk. teren "delicate, weak."

In the recent past.

→ recent + -ly a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives.

1) The property of having happened or appeared not long ago.
2) A time immediately before the present.

→ recent; → -ness.