A historical reference, potentially archaic or regional, to a king or ruler who comes after another, or a secondary ruler.
Compound of 'after' (Old English æfter) and 'king' (Old English cyning, from Germanic root meaning leader). This appears to be a rare or obsolete English formation, possibly Scandinavian-influenced.
While 'afterking' isn't common in modern English, the historical concept of succession and 'after-kings' reflects medieval concerns about royal succession and the precarious nature of dynastic power—was your heir legitimate or merely lucky?
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