Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “afternoon” come from?

Afternoon comes from Middle English afternone, meaning the time after noon.

afternoon (English): The part of the day from noon or lunchtime until...

Definitions

  1. The part of the day from noon or lunchtime until...

Ancestry of “afternoon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishafternone—
2Middle EnglishnoneAlternative form of nonne; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishnōnnoon; the ninth hour; the ninth hour
4Latinnōna—
5Latinnōnus—
6Latinnovenosaccusative masculine plural of novēnus
7Latinnovemnine; 9; first-person singular present active...
8LatinnovoI make new, renew, refresh; I alter, change;...
9Proto-Italicnowāō—
10Proto-Indo-Europeannéweh₂tito renew
11Proto-Indo-Europeannéwosnew
12Proto-Indo-Europeannew-new; to nod, assent to

Words derived from “afternoon”

  • arvo
  • afternoonish
  • 'sarvo
  • apinun
Every word from Proto-Indo-European new- →