'aftertaste' originates from the combination of 'after' and 'taste', where 'after' meant 'following in time' and 'taste' referred to the sensation of flavor.

'aftertaste' was formed in English by combining the words 'after' and 'taste', and has remained largely unchanged in modern usage.

Initially, it meant 'the taste that follows the initial taste', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.