Can "nach" mean "about"?

Question

Whilst watching an exercise video about "Präpositionen mit Dativ", I noticed that _nach_ was used with the meaning of _about_: > Der Tourist erkundigt sich nach dem Fahrplan. I know that _nach_ primarily means _to_ and _after_, so why was nach used in this way?

Answer 1

The simple answer is yes.

Nach can mean "after"

The tourist asked after the Fahrplan. To ask after someone or something is an old idiom in English.

You may see a noun: "Nachfrage". It means inquiry: asking (after) about something.