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Origin and history of aftermath

aftermath(n.)

1520s, originally "a second crop of grass grown on the same land after the first had been harvested," from after + -math, which is from Old English mæð "a mowing, cutting of grass" (from PIE root *me- (4) "to cut down grass or grain").

Other words for it were aftercrop (1560s), aftergrass (1680s), lattermath, fog (n.2). The figurative sense is by 1650s. Compare French regain "aftermath," from re- + Old French gain, gaain "grass which grows in mown meadows," from Frankish or some other Germanic source similar to Old High German weida "grass, pasture."

When the summer fields are mown,
When the birds are fledged and flown,
     And the dry leaves strew the path;
With the falling of the snow,
With the cawing of the crow,
Once again the fields we mow
     And gather in the aftermath.
[Longfellow, from "Aftermath"]

also from 1520s

Entries linking to aftermath

after(adv., prep.)

Old English æfter "behind; later in time" (adv.); "behind in place; later than in time; in pursuit, following with intent to overtake" (prep.), from of "off" (see off (adv.)) + -ter, a comparative suffix; thus the original meaning was "more away, farther off." Compare Old Norse eptir "after," Old Frisian efter, Dutch achter, Old High German aftar, Gothic aftra "behind;" also see aft. Cognate with Greek apotero "farther off," Old Persian apataram "further."

From c. 1300 as "in imitation of." As a conjunction, "subsequent to the time that," from late Old English. After hours "hours after regular working hours" is from 1814. Afterwit "wisdom that comes too late" is attested from c. 1500 but seems to have fallen from use. After you as an expression in yielding precedence is recorded by 1650.

fog(n.2)

"long grass, second growth of grass after mowing," late 14c., fogge, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian fogg "long grass in a moist hollow," Icelandic fuki "rotten sea grass." A connection to fog (n.1) via a notion of long grass growing in moist dells of northern Europe is tempting but not proven. Watkins suggests derivation from PIE *pu- (2) "to rot, decay" (see foul (adj.)).

Hence foggage "rank grass remaining in winter, after-grass as food for horses and cattle," also "the pasturing of cattle" (c. 1500); fogger (n.3), in England, "one who fodders cattle and carts hay" (19c.).

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wake
"to become awake," a Middle English merger of Old English wacan "to become awake, arise, be born, originate," and Old English wacian "to be or remain awake," both from Proto-Germanic *wakjanan (source also of Old Saxon wakon, Old Norse vaka, Danish vaage, Old Frisian waka, Dutch
consequence
late 14c., "logical inference, conclusion," from Old French consequence "result" (13c., Modern French conséquence), from Latin consequentia, abstract noun from present-participle stem of consequi "to follow after," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + sequi
warder
c. 1400, "guardian of an entrance," from Anglo-French wardere, wardour "guardian, keeper, custodian" (Old French gardeor), agent noun from Old North French warder "to guard, keep, maintain, uphold" (Old French garder), from Frankish *wardon, from Proto-Germanic *wardon "to guard,
reward
mid-14c., "what one deserves, just desserts," from Anglo-French and Old North French reward, rouwart, back-formation from rewarder (see reward (v.)). The meaning "return or payment for service, hardship, etc.," also "something given in recognition of merit, virtue, etc., a prize"
fruit
late 12c., "any vegetable product useful to humans or animals," from Old French fruit "fruit, fruit eaten as dessert; harvest; virtuous action" (12c.), from Latin fructus "an enjoyment, delight, satisfaction; proceeds, produce, fruit, crops," from frug-, stem of frui "to use, enj
train
early 14c., "a drawing out, delay;" late 14c., "trailing part of a skirt, gown, or cloak;" also "retinue, procession," from Old French train "tracks, path, trail (of a robe or gown); act of dragging," from trainer "to pull, drag, draw," from Vulgar Latin *traginare, extended from
corollary
late 14c., "a proposition inadvertently proved in proving another," from Late Latin corollarium "a deduction, consequence," from Latin corollarium, originally "money paid for a garland," hence "gift, gratuity, something extra;" and in logic, "a proposition proved from another tha
termination
late 14c., "authoritative resolution of a matter," from Old French terminacion (13c.) and directly from Latin terminationem (nominative terminatio) "a fixing of boundaries, a bounding, determining," noun of action from past-participle stem of terminare "to mark the end or boundar
result
early 15c., resulten, "occur as a result, arise as a consequence of facts, arguments, etc.," from Latin resultare "to spring forward, rebound" (in Medieval Latin "to result"), a frequentative from the past participle of resilire "to rebound" (see resilience). The etymological sen
luster
"gloss, radiance, quality of shining by reflecting light," 1520s, from French lustre "gloss, radiance" (14c.), common Romanic (cognates: Spanish and Portuguese lustre, Rumanian lustru, Italian lustro "splendor, brilliancy"), a noun ultimately from Latin lustrare "spread light ove

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