'laterness' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the adjective 'later' plus the suffix '-ness' (from Old English '-nes(s)a'), where 'later' meant 'more late' (the comparative of 'late').

'later' changed from Old English word 'lætra', the comparative of 'lǣt' (late), passed through Middle English forms such as 'later', and eventually became the Modern English adjective 'later'; the noun-forming suffix '-ness' has Old English roots and was attached to create 'laterness'.

Initially, 'later' meant 'more late' as the comparative of 'late'; over time the derived noun 'laterness' came to mean 'the quality or state of being later' in temporal or sequential senses.