Etymograph

English

posterior

Posterior comes from Latin posterior ‘that comes or follows after’, from Proto-Italic *posteros ‘later’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pós ‘afterwards, post-’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pós‘afterwards, post-’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pósti‘after’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*posti‘behind, after’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*posteros‘later’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEposterus‘following, next, coming after’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposterior‘that comes or follows after’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2023same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pós‘afterwards, post-’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pósti‘after’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*posti‘behind, after’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*posteros‘later’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEposterus‘following, next, coming after’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposterior‘that comes or follows after’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2023same form

Earliest quotation: 2023, Stephen Roberts, Bradshaw's Britain: the way to Weymouth: “Stephen reigned from 1135-1154, that nasty period of our…”

Linked words

through Latin posterus ‘following, next, coming after’

posthumous, 1 more

Today it means

adj Relating to or denoting presentation of a fetus in which the rear or caudal end is nearest the cervix and emerges first at birth.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pós / posterior

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