Afternoon
/ˌɑːf.təˈnuːn/noun
The part of the day between noon and evening.
Did you know?Unlike words like “mortgage” or “disaster,” “afternoon” has no dark hidden root—it’s a straightforward Old English time phrase that simply fossilized into one word.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
æfter ǣn
“after noon; the time after midday”
Middle English
ME
afternone
“the time after noon”
14th Century
English
afternoon
“the period after midday”
Modern English
English
afternoon
“the part of the day between noon and evening”