「傳統」、「近代」、「現代」是近代進化史觀語義場內的重要詞語。「傳統、近代」是中國的古典詞，但在二十世紀初的日本詞義發生了變化；而「現代」是日本新創製的詞語。其中「近代」、「現代」更發展成為歷史分期的專門術語。本文通過調查中日文相關文獻、外文辭典，從詞源學的角度對三個詞語的新義發生，以及在中日之間的傳播、普及作了考證。本文所提供的詞源學上的結論將對東方進化史觀的容受史的敘述提供可靠的素材。

＂Tradition, Early Modern Age and Modern Age＂ are important terms on the Evolutionary historiography. ＂Tradition and Modern Age＂ came from Chinese Literature, but started changing in Japanese Literature in the early twentieth century; Japan creates ＂Modern Age,＂ and ＂Early Modern and Modern Age＂ become professional languages to divide historical periods. Through surveying related documents in Chinese and Japanese, foreign dictionaries, investigating from etymological angle toward the origins of new meaning of these three terms and dissemination happened between China among these three terms, the conclusion about etymology provides reliable materials for Reception-Historical prescription.