The word for today is…

atavistic (derived from atavism (noun))

1a : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination
b : recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity

2 : an individual or character that manifests atavism : throwback

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Atavism derives via French from Latin atavus, meaning “ancestor.” Avus in Latin means “grandfather,” and it’s believed that the at is related to atta, a word for “daddy.” Atavism is a term rooted in evolutionary study, referring to instances when an organism possesses traits closer to a more remote ancestor, rather than its own parents. That sense dates to the early part of the 19th century. The word’s figurative sense is a more recent development. These days one might describe a building that looks like it’s from an earlier era as an atavism, or (though some people might cringe at this) apply the word to activities like reading actual paper books in the age of electronics.

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David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...