Where does “achter” come from?

achter (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon aftar, from Proto-Germanic after, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros — further behind, further away.

Ancestry of “achter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonaftarafter; behind; back
2Proto-Germanicafterafter, behind
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epoterosfurther behind, further away

Words derived from “achter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros →Every word from Proto-Germanic after →Every word from Old Saxon aftar →