The term "modern" functions as a versatile signifier in literature, often contrasting the present with the ancient or traditional. It appears as a marker of temporal and cultural distinction, designating contemporary geographical sites or urban features (such as near the modern Cape Coloni [1] or the modern city of Gubbio [2]) and architectural styles that denote current trends (as seen in the modern, airy edifice [3]). At the same time, it frequently expresses shifts in thought, from changes in legal or political practices (as in modern legislatures [4]) to evaluations of contemporary disciplines like psychology [5] and philosophy [6]. In discussions of style and identity, the word can carry both celebratory and critical tones, capturing the tension between innovation and continuity, a nuance similarly observed in references to modern writers and cultural practices [7] and embodied in calls to meet modern requirements [8].