Etymograph

English

afterward

Afterward comes from Middle English afterward ‘Afterwards, later, then’, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘away, off, from’, and ultimately from *h₂ep.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂epreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂epó‘away, off, from’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*after‘after, behind’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150æfter‘after’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150æfterweard
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afterward‘Afterwards, later, then’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂epreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂epó‘away, off, from’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*after‘after, behind’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150æfter‘after’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150æfterweard
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afterward‘Afterwards, later, then’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Formed from after + -ward

Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘off, away’

…

Proto-Germanic *after ‘after, behind’

Proto-West Germanic *aftar

Old English æfter ‘after’

Middle English after

English after

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘away, off, from’

of, off, abdomen, overt, 4 more

Today it means

adv —

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep / afterward

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