Etymology Explorer › Old Frisian

Where does “efter” come from?

efter (Old Frisian) comes from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic after, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros — further behind, further away.

Ancestry of “efter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*aftar—
2Proto-Germanicafterafter, behind
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epoterosfurther behind, further away

Words derived from “efter”

  • achter
  • efter
  • ätter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoteros →