'proto-classical' originates from Modern English by combining the prefix 'proto-' (from Greek 'protos') and the adjective 'classical' (from Latin 'classicus' via French), where 'proto-' meant 'first' and 'classical' meant 'pertaining to the classical style'.

'classical' changed from Latin 'classicus' through Old French 'classique' and Middle English into modern English 'classical'; 'proto-' comes from Greek 'protos'; these elements were combined in Modern English to form the compound 'proto-classical'.

Initially, 'proto-' meant 'first' and 'classical' referred to matters of rank or the canonical style; over time the compound came to mean 'relating to an early or formative version of the classical style' rather than 'first in rank'.