# EARLY, MIDDLE, LATE - Need 4 in total, what word can I add? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [February 27, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173 "2024-02-27T16:00:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/1 "2024-02-27T16:00:03Z")
I have a project to complete and I require 4 words to generically describe specific periods within a measurement of time. So, something like: Early Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene. Problem is I need 4 of these, but Early Pleistocene, Early Middle Pleistocene, Late Middle Pleistocene, Late Pleistocene is clumsy. Any Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/2 "2024-02-27T16:03:04Z")
Pre, Early, Late, Post ? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/3 "2024-02-27T16:03:48Z")
Doesn’t pre imply before the Era? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/4 "2024-02-27T16:03:51Z")
In that vein: Initial, Early, Late, Final ? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/5 "2024-02-27T16:11:35Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Pre, Early, Late, Post ? I do like post though. Early, Middle, Late, Post. The idea being this moment of time is not just a measurement but it is a topic and to discuss the topic there is a beginning, middle, end and a summation. Like the 1820’s are really just Post Napoleonic Cleanup and there is no point in trying to understand the 1820’s if you have not covered the 1790’s. Thanks guys and gals. Any other attempts would be appreciated, but that’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/6 "2024-02-27T16:20:10Z")
Welcome! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/7 "2024-02-27T19:51:22Z")
You can do the Maya - - Archaic, Pre-Classic, Classic, Post-Classic North American sequence: - Archaic, Formative, Classic, Post-Classic ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/8 "2024-02-27T21:19:02Z")
Puppy, middle, fat, old. I get my escriptors from Cycle Four dog food. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/9 "2024-02-27T21:38:23Z")
Could also go Roman: Kingdom Republic Principate Dominate ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/10 "2024-02-28T08:25:29Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > So, something like: Early Pleistocene, Middle Pleistocene and Late Pleistocene. For the Jōmon period in Japan and the Jeulmun period in Korea, you have Incipient (or Initial) Early Middle Late (and Final) That’s actually a fairly common periodization. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/11 "2024-02-28T08:27:40Z")
Not exactly related, but I use these a lot: - First - Next - Further - Final I don’t usually use them to describe periods of time, but more often points or phases in a list: - Firstly - Nextly (It’s a real word, but obscure enough to trip up nitpickers, which I love doing) - Furthermore - Finally ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/12 "2024-02-28T12:19:20Z")
Golden Silver Bronze (Optional: Heroic) Iron ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/13 "2024-02-28T14:25:43Z")
Ready Set Go Finish (or Win!) I’m not wild about “Post”, because that sounds like the third stage is the end of the project, and “Post” is just paperwork or a debriefing… and all the impetus is over before the fourth stage. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/14 "2024-02-28T14:26:49Z")
The problem with Post- is that timeframe exists in the next time period. For example, if you say post-Pleistocene you really are in the Holocene. The same problem with Pre- and the previous period. For that reason, I’d probably go with Early, Middle, Late, End. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/15 "2024-02-28T14:34:51Z")
Stage One: The Adventure Begins Stage Two: Electric Boogaloo Stage Three: Wherein Opal is Greeted Stage Four: In Which Our Intrepid Band Completes Their Quest and Rescues the Princess from the Pit of Despair ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/16 "2024-02-28T14:52:06Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > The problem with Post- is that timeframe exists in the next time period. For example, if you say post-Pleistocene you really are in the Holocene. The same problem with Pre- and the previous period. For that reason, I’d probably go with Early, Middle, Late, End. Yeah I’ve been turning that over in my mind as well, I don’t have much to work with. I do like END, but it’s multiple meaning makes it grammatically odd. Early Discovery Era Middle Reformation Era Late Absolutism Era End Revolutions Era The last one doesn’t work, I don’t think. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/17 "2024-02-28T14:53:30Z")
- denial. - anger. - bargaining. - depression. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/18 "2024-02-28T15:01:03Z")
Ancient, early, mid, late? (Though I think I prefer the “incipient” mentioned earlier.) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/19 "2024-02-28T15:06:44Z")
Right, but I need generic descriptors so Ancient Modern Age??? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173/20 "2024-02-28T15:09:52Z")
I didn’t know you were using “Modern Age” (or something else with a temporal word) in it. That wasn’t in the OP. I was going under your era names and assumed you’d be using a similar structure. Then, so it goes, my parenthetical about preferring “incipient” or “initial”, as suggested by @MrDibble would be what I’d go with. “Proto-” might be another possibility if you want a prefix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/early-middle-late-need-4-in-total-what-word-can-i-add/998173.md?page=2)