Where does “later” come from?

later (Middle English) comes from Old English lætra, from Old English læt, from Proto-Germanic lētaz, from Proto-Germanic lētaną, from Proto-Indo-European leh₁d- — to be tired.

Ancestry of “later”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishlætra—
2Old Englishlætslow; slack, lax, negligent; late
3Proto-Germaniclētazfreeman; bondsman; serf
4Proto-Germaniclētanąto let, to allow; to leave alone
5Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₁d-to be tired

Words derived from “later”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₁d- →
later — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer