At a later time; subsequently. Following in time or order after something else has occurred.
From Old English 'æfterweard', combining 'æfter' (after) and 'weard' (toward). The '-ward' suffix indicates direction, making it literally 'toward what comes after'.
The '-ward' ending connects 'afterward' to spatial thinking - we conceptualize time as movement through space, with the future as a destination we move 'toward', showing how deeply our minds rely on physical metaphors to understand abstract concepts like time.
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