Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “after” come from?

After comes from Old English æfter, from Proto-Germanic after, from Proto-Indo-European apotero, derived from the prefix apo- meaning "away."

after (English): Behind; later in time; following; Subsequently...

Definitions

  1. Behind; later in time; following; Subsequently...

Ancestry of “after”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishafter—
2Old Englishæfterafter; according to
3Proto-West Germanic*aftar—
4Proto-Germanicafterafter, behind
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epoterosfurther behind, further away

Words derived from “after”

  • afterward
  • aftermath
  • hereinafter
  • afterlife
  • afterthought
  • afterglow
  • aftershave
  • afterload
  • aftercare
  • aftermarket
  • afterword
  • aftertaste
  • afterschool
  • afterbirth
  • aftershock
  • afterburner
  • afterimage
  • afterworld
  • aftereffect
  • afterpiece
  • whereafter
  • afterdeck
  • aftertime
  • aftah
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros →