The prefix 'proto' is derived from the Greek word 'protos', which means 'FIRST'. It is used to indicate something that is the FIRST of its kind, or the earliest form of something. For example, the term 'protolanguage' is used to refer to the earliest form of a language. Similarly, the term 'protomodernism' is used to refer to the earliest form of modernism. In this context, the term 'proto' can be used to refer to the 'FIRST' in a series of things.