Where does “afterthink” come from?

afterthink (English) comes from English after, from Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic after, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros — further behind, further away.

afterthink (English): To think about after the fact, reflect on; To...

Definitions

  1. To think about after the fact, reflect on; To...

Ancestry of “afterthink”, step by step

afterthink traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English after

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishafterBehind; later in time; following; Subsequently...
2Middle Englishafterafter
3Old Englishæfterafter; according to
4Proto-West Germanic*aftarafter, behind
5Proto-Germanicafterafter, behind
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epoterosfurther behind, further away

via English think

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthinkTo ponder, to go over in one's head; To...
2Middle EnglishthinkenTo think, ponder; to deduce, figure out; to...
3Old Englishþyncanto seem
4Proto-Germanicþunkijanąto seem, to appear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros →
afterthink — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer