Etymograph

English

afterwards

Afterwards comes from Old English æfteweard ‘behind’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150æfteweard1‘behind’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afterwardes1
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2011afterwards1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English afterwards
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Chris Bevan, Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham: “Another Karadeniz cross led to Cudicini's first save of…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150æfteweardWiktionary, English afterwards‘behind’
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afterwardesWiktionary, English afterwards
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2011afterwardsWiktionary, English afterwards. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Chris Bevan, Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham: “Another Karadeniz cross led to Cudicini's first save of…”

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Today it means

adv At a later or succeeding time; after that;

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “afterwards”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old English æfteweard / afterwards