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-ward. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ward, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ward in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ward you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Old English -weard, from Proto-Germanic *wardaz, earlier *warþaz (“turned toward, in the direction of, facing”) (compare -wards, from -weardes).
Cognate with Dutch -waarts, Low German -warts, German -wärts, Icelandic -verðr, Gothic -𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (-wairþs), Latin vertere (“to turn”) or versus (“toward”), and Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “he turns”). Also related to worth (“to become”). Compare verse.
Pronunciation
- (unstressed)
- (stressed, in the word "toward" only)
Suffix
-ward
- Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.
- Forming adjectives, as in "a backward look", "the northward road", etc; used even by speakers who usually use -wards for adverbs.
Usage notes
- The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used with adverbs, though -ward is heavily favoured for adjectives.
- Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since Old English sithens, etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially.
- The adjectives toward (initial stress) and forward have meanings not predictable from the meaning of -ward.
- Awkward has retained the form but lost much of the sense in its use of this suffix.
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