Where does “afterward” come from?
Afterward comes from Old English æfter combined with Old English -weard, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots apo- and wert- meaning "away" and "to turn."
afterward (English): Alternative form of afterwards
Definitions
- Alternative form of afterwards
Ancestry of “afterward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | æfterweard | afterward |
| 2 | Old English | -weard | Forming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wardaz | turned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |