'1950s-era' is a Modern English compound formed from the numeral '1950s' (denoting the decade 1950–1959) and the noun 'era' (from Latin/Old French/Italian origins).

'era' entered English via Old French/Italian (e.g., Old French 'ere', Italian 'era') from Latin 'aera' (or related Latin forms). The construction combining a numeric decade with 'era' (e.g., '1950s-era') is a recent, productive pattern in modern English for specifying a period or style.

Initially 'era' meant an epoch or fixed point for counting years in Latin-derived usage; in modern compounds like '1950s-era' it retains the sense of a distinct period but is commonly used adjectivally to indicate style or characteristics tied to that decade.