An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Of, belonging to, or occurring at a time immediately before the present.
   

2. Geology: Of, belonging to, or denoting the Holocene Epoch.

Etymology (EN): 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.”

Etymology (PE): 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.”