Where does “aft” come from?
Aft comes from Old English æftan, whose original meaning is unknown.
aft (English): The stern portion of a vessel; At, near, or...
Definitions
- The stern portion of a vessel; At, near, or...
Ancestry of “aft”, step by step
aft traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English afternoon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | afternoon | The part of the day from noon or lunchtime until... |
| 2 | Middle English | afternone | afternoon |
| 3 | Middle English | none | Alternative form of nonne; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | nōn | noon; the ninth hour; the ninth hour |
| 5 | Latin | nōna | nones canonical hour |
| 6 | Latin | nōnus | ninth |
| 7 | Latin | novenos | accusative masculine plural of novēnus |
| 8 | Latin | novem | nine; 9; first-person singular present active... |
| 9 | Latin | novo | I make new, renew, refresh; I alter, change;... |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | nowāō | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | néweh₂ti | to renew |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | néwos | new |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | new- | new; to nod, assent to |
via Old English æftan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | æftan | behind |