after

Meaning

Synonyms

behind
A1
later
A1
afterwards
B2
following
B1
when
A1
next
A1
then
A1
since
A1
back
A1
🔙
past
A1
later on
over
A1
as soon as
afterward
C2
subsequently
C2
from
A1
thereafter
20k
in
A1
while
A1
on
A1
🔛
according to
because
A1
upon
A2
outside
A1
at
A1
rear
B2
accordingly
C2
above
B1
abaft
a
A1
🅰️

after it

posterior
26k
for
A1

away from

last
A1
off
A1

depending on

concerning
C1
completed
B2
by and by
an
A1
by
A1
beyond
B1
into
A1
inside
A1

in pursuit of

besides
A2
along
A1
inferior
C2

in conformity with

Translations

après
dopo
nach
después
na
derrière
dietro
después de
danach
hinter
post
achter
depois de
atrás de
depois
Frequency

A1
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ)/
Etymology

Inherited from Middle English
after
Inherited from Old English
æfter
Cognate with Scots
efter
Cognate with Northern Frisian
efter
Cognate with Western Frisian
Western Frisian
after
Cognate with Low German
-
Cognate with Dutch
Dutch
achter
Cognate with German
German
after-
Cognate with Swedish
-
Cognate with Danish
efter
Cognate with Norwegian
etter
Cognate with Icelandic
eftir
In summary

From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Swedish/Danish efter (“after”), Norwegian Nynorsk/Norwegian Bokmål etter (“after”), Icelandic eftir (“after”), aftur (“back, again”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

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English