Etymologically
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post

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpɔst][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔst][1]

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

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