achter

Forms

achter^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch achter, inherited from Old Dutch after, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, inherited from Proto-Germanic *after (“behind, after”).^[2][1][3] Middle Dutch also wrote ⟨after⟩, and the Zaan dialect kept it.^[2][4][5] The same word is Old Saxon aftar, Old High German aftar, Old Frisian efter, Old English æfter (modern English after) and Old Norse eptir, and with other endings the adverbs Gothic 𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌰𐍂𐍉 (aftarō, “from behind”) and 𐌰𐍆𐍄𐍂𐌰 (aftra, “back, again”).^[2][4][3] Forms without ⟨r⟩, such as Old Dutch ⟨eft⟩ “again”, lie behind echter.^[2] With the prefix of buiten and boven Middle Dutch made bachten (“at the back”).^[2]

The Germanic word is probably a comparative of af, made with the contrastive suffix Proto-Indo-European *-teros from *h₂ep- (“off, away”), like Ancient Greek ἀπωτέρω (apōtérō, “further away”) and Sanskrit अपतरम् (apataram, “further”).^[2][6][3] The Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands thinks a link with *h₁epi- (“later”), the root of avond, somewhat more likely.^[2]

The ⟨ch⟩ comes from a sound law found only in Dutch, by which /ft/ became /xt/, as in kracht and lucht beside German Kraft and Luft.^[2][7] The change had happened by Old Dutch times, which already show reverse spellings with ⟨ft⟩ for ⟨cht⟩; it spread from Flanders and western Brabant into the standard language.^[2] Where modern Dutch has /ft/ it was mostly restored by analogy, as in helft beside half, or the word is younger; bruiloft is a relic of the old sound.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is a late 9th-century charm that says Visc flot aftar themo uuatare “a fish swam through the water”, with the sense “through, along”.^[8][2] In the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century aftir means “after, behind” and also “according to”, glossing Latin secundum.^[8][9] Middle Dutch achter is found around 1200 in the Limburg life of Saint Servatius, in wide achter lande “far and wide through the land”.^[10][2][11]

Semantic evolution

Old and Middle Dutch used the word for place, time and accordance: “behind, through, after, according to”.^[8][10] The time sense “after” has gone from the standard language, which by the 19th century used achter only of place, but dialects still have it.^[12][5] As an adverb it meant “afterwards” and, in 13th-century Bruges and Mechelen charters, “in arrears” with a payment, the source of the modern sense “behind”.^[10][7][13]

Many compounds grew from it, among them achterbaks “underhand” and achterklap “backbiting”.^[12][1] Het achter de mouw hebben “to be sly” has a Flemish variant with achter de elleboog.^[14]

Sailors carried the word abroad: German nautical achter and Danish agter, Norwegian and Swedish akter came from Dutch or Low German, and Van der Sijs also lists English aft.^[15] Negerhollands had aster and astu, and in Petjo achter was a polite word for the toilet.^[15][1]

Timeline

• late 9th century – Aftar themo uuatare “through the water” in an Old Dutch charm.^[8][2][9]
• 901–1000 – Aftir in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[8][2]
• c. 1200 – Middle Dutch achter in the Limburg Servatius.^[2][10]
• 1253 – The spelling affter.^[2]
• 1266–1267 – Bachten “at the back”.^[2]
• 1284 – Achter “in arrears” in a Bruges charter.^[10]

Meanings

Preposition

1. behind, at the back of: De fiets staat achter het huis.^[13][1]
2. beyond, on the far side of.^[1][16]
3. After, in a sequence: achter elkaar “one after another, in a row”.^[13]
4. In phrases: achter iets komen “to find something out”.^[13]

Adverb

1. At the back: Hij zit achter in de klas.^[13]
2. Behind, in arrears: De klok loopt vijf minuten achter.^[13]

Word family

• achterbaks
• achtervoegsel
• achterlijk
• achterban
• achterbeen
• achterdek
• achtergrond
• achterhalen
• achterhoek
• achterhouden
• achterkeuken
• achterklap
• achterneef
• achterste
• achteruit
• achterna
• achtervolgen

Related words

• af
• echter
• English after

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
7. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ a b c d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ a b c d e Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 46
12. ^ a b Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
13. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
16. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org