Etymograph

English

posthumous

Posthumous comes from Latin posterus ‘coming 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‘coming after’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposthumus
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1885posthumous

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‘coming after’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposthumus
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1885posthumous

Earliest quotation: 1885, Ulysses S. Grant, Chapter IV: “The most favorable posthumous history the stay-at-home traitor can…”

Linked words

through Latin posterus ‘coming after’

posterior, posterity

Today it means

adj After the death of someone.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pós / posthumous

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