Etymology Dictionary

AFT, AFTER,  adj. and adv. behind.  (E.)   As a nautical term, perhaps it is rather Scandinavian than English.  Cf. Icel. aptr (pronounced aftr), used like aft in nautical language (Cleasby and Vigfusson).   In M.E. generally eft, with the sense of 'again;' and after, prep. and adv.—A.S. æft, eft, again, behind, Grein, i. 219; æftan, behind (very rare); æfter, prep., after, behind, also as an adv., after, afterwards (very common). + Icel. aptan (pron. aftan), adv. and prep. behind. aptr, aftr, aptan, backwards; aftr, back, in composition. + Dan. and Swed. efter, prep. and adv. behind, after. + Du. achter, prep. and adv. behind. + Goth. aftra, adv. again, backwards. + O.H.G. aftar, after, prep. and adv. behind. + Gk. ἀπωτέρω, adv., further off. + O. Persian apataram, further (Fick, i. 17).   ¶ In English, there has, no doubt, been from the very first a feeling that after was formed from aft; but comparative philology shews at once that this is merely an English view, and due to a mistake.  The word aft is, in fact, an abbreviation or development from after, which is the older word of the two, and the only form found in most other languages.  2. The word after, as the true original, deserves more consideration.  It is a comparative form, but is, nevertheless, not to be divided as aft-er, but as af-ter.  The -ter is the suffix which appears in Lat. al-ter, u-ter, in the Gk. ὕσ-τερος, ἕ-τερος, Skt. ka-tara, &c.; and in English is generally written -ther, as in o-ther, whe-ther, ei-ther, &c.  'By Sanskrit grammarians the origin of it is said to be found in the Skt. root tar (cp. Lat. trans, E. through), to cross over, go beyond;' Morris, Outlines of English Accidence, p. 106; and see p. 204.  The positive form af- corresponds to Skt. apa, Gk. ἀπό, Lat. ab, Goth. af, A.S. of, E. of and off.  Thus after stands for of-ter, i.e. more off, further away.   See Of.  Der. after-crop, after-most (q.v.), after-noon, after-piece, after-ward, after-wards (q.v.), ab-aft (q.v.).