post

Forms

post (+ accusative)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *posti (“behind, after”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pósti; the older Latin form ⟨poste⟩ is used by Ennius, Plautus and Terence.^[2][1][3] Inscriptions also shorten it to ⟨pos⟩ and ⟨pus⟩.^[3] Its old comparative posterus has Sabellic matches; posterior and postrēmus were formed from it.^[2]

Cognate with Oscan púst and Umbrian post (“after, behind”), Sanskrit पश्चा (paścā́, “behind, after”) and Lithuanian pas (“at, by”).^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the Twelve Tables, both as an adverb and as a preposition: post merīdiem “after midday”.^[3][2][5]

Semantic evolution

As an adverb post means “behind, back” of place and “afterwards, later” of time (multīs post annīs “many years later”); in enumerations it means “next, then”, and it can mean “second in importance”.^[3][6][7] As a preposition with the accusative it means “behind” (post tergum “behind one's back”), “after” a time or event, and “at the end of” a period.^[3][1]

Medieval Latin added “towards”, “in search of” and “in the power of”.^[8] It is the source of the English word-forming element post- “after”.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – The Twelve Tables: post merīdiem.^[3][5]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses the older form poste.^[3][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero places it after its noun.^[3][5]
• c. 550–1150 – Medieval Latin uses it for “towards, in search of”.^[8]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Behind, in the rear; back.^[3][1]
2. afterwards, later.^[3][1]
3. Next, then (in enumerations).^[3]
4. Second in importance.^[3]

Preposition

1. (with accusative) behind: post tergum, behind one's back.^[3][1]
2. (with accusative) after, since.^[3][1]
3. (Medieval Latin) Towards; in search of; in the power of.^[8]

Word family

• post-
• posteā
• posterus
• posterior
• postrēmus
• pōne
• postīcus
• postquam

Related words

• ante

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill