Word Root: Post- (Prefix) - Membean

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The prefix post- means “after;” let’s not postpone learning about post- for another second!

After a soccer match or football game there is often a postgame, or show “after” the game, during which time commentators provide a recap of the game. There might also be many postseason, or “after”-the-season shows which explore events of the past season. Sometimes sports seasons have to be postponed, or placed “after” when they were supposed to occur, usually because of contract negotiations.

It’s funny how fast children grow up. Parents might remember their children being in postnatal care in the hospital, or care that is given to infants “after” birth. Those same parents’ children may now be in postgraduate studies, or advanced learning that takes place “after” graduation! Those children are the posterity of those parents, or those future generations who come “after” them.

Some key Latin phrases use the Latin preposition post, or “after.” The abbreviation p.m., as in 10 p.m., stands for the Latin post meridiem, or “after noon,” just like a.m. is Latin for ante meridiem, or “before noon.” If someone were to die under unusual circumstances, a coroner would have to conduct a postmortem, or autopsy “after” death, to determine the cause of the death. And then, of course, there is the P.S. after the official close of a letter. “P.S.” comes from the Latin phrase post scriptum," or “after” that which has been written; this Latin phrase gave us the noun postscript, which is additional writing placed “after” the writer has signed her letter. Note that when someone postdates a letter, she puts on it a date “after” the actual date she wrote it; this can also occur with other documents, such as checks or invoices.

Hopefully I won’t need a postscript to this podcast to remind you that the English prefix post- means “after!” May you ever “after” proceed in confidence in your reading of English vocabulary words with the prefix post- in them!

1. postgame: “after” a game
2. postseason: “after” a season
3. postpone: to put “after” or later in time
4. postnatal: pertaining to “after” birth
5. postgraduate: pertaining to “after” graduation
6. posterity: descendants who come “after” you
7. post meridiem: “after” noon
8. postmortem: of “after” death
9. postscript: that which is written “after” the main body of a letter
10. postdate: to place on a document a date which is “after” the date the document was created