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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for March 26, 1999
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aftermath [n. AF-tur-math]
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The aftermath of an event is the time immediately following it, when
the direct consequences are still being felt. Usually the word is
used in connection with tragic or disastrous events: "In the aftermath
of the crash, the police scoured the site looking for evidence."
The first part of the word seems to make sense, since the aftermath
comes after the event. But what does it have to do with math?
There's a clue in a much older meaning of the word. An aftermath is
a second crop, planted after a previous crop has been grown and
harvested in the same year.
Usually the first crop was grass or a similar grazing crop, which had
to be mowed down at the end of its growing season. By the 17th
century, the Old English aftermaeth (after mowing) began to take on a
connotation of "a resulting condition," leading to the modern meaning
of the word.
More "after" words:
afterburner: a jet engine enhancement that adds thrust by burning
gases at the back of the engine.
afterpiece: a short comedy presentation following a play
aftershock: a small earthquake following and related to a large one
afterdamp: noxious gases left in a mine following an explosion
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