In Dutch and German, the back part of something or a suffix meaning 'back' or 'rear.' Also historically a unit of liquid measure.
From Old Dutch and German 'acht' (back, rear), related to Sanskrit 'aksha' meaning 'axis.' The meaning evolved from 'that which is behind' to describe rear sections of ships and buildings.
The word 'achter' survives in English as 'after'—it literally meant 'the part that comes behind,' so 'afternoon' is 'the back part of day,' showing how spatial concepts shape how we talk about time.
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