'afterlight' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'æfterlēoht,' where 'æfter' meant 'after' and 'lēoht' meant 'light.'

'æfterlēoht' transformed into the Middle English word 'afterlight,' and eventually became the modern English word 'afterlight.'

Initially, it meant 'light after sunset,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.