modern Japanese (since the Middle Ages)
In Japanese linguistics, 近代語 typically refers to the language from the Kamakura period onward, contrasting with 中世語 (medieval language) and 古代語 (ancient language).
See also: 中世
In the history of the Japanese language, the language from the Kamakura period onward is sometimes called 近代語.
Meiji-period Japanese
A narrower usage referring specifically to the Japanese of the Meiji era, sometimes extended to the late Edo and Taishō periods. This sense is common in discussions of modern literature and language modernization.
Futabatei Shimei's works had a great influence on the formation of Meiji-period Japanese.
Ancient Japanese, usually up to the Heian period; 近代語 is the language after that.
Compound of 近代 (きんだい, 'modern era') and 語 (ご, 'language'). The term's periodization varies by scholarly context.