postdate
UK/ˌpəʊstˈdeɪt/US/ˌpoʊstˈdeɪt/
v
to write a date on a document that is later than the actual date.
v
to occur or exist at a later time than something else.
Morpheme Breakdown
post
date
post
after
date
time
Etymology
the word 'postdate' is a transparent compound formed within english from two latin-derived elements. the prefix 'post-', meaning "after", is a direct borrowing from latin, traceable to the proto-indo-european root apo- (off, away). the core element 'date' originates from the latin phrase 'data (epistola)' meaning "(a letter) given", with 'data' being the feminine past participle of 'dare' (to give), from pie dō- (to give). the literal combination, "to affix a date after", logically evolved to describe the act of assigning a future date to a check or document, and by semantic extension, to describe any event occurring after another in time.
Analysis
Structure: post (after) + date (time)
- post: from latin 'post', meaning "after, behind". functions as a prefix indicating subsequence in time or position.
- date: from latin 'data', from 'dare' meaning "to give", referring to a given point in time. functions as the core noun/verb element.
Examples
she had to postdate the check until her next payday.
many of these architectural features actually postdate the main construction period by several decades.
it is illegal to postdate a contract to avoid legal obligations.