-ward

Meaning

1. Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.
2. Forming adjectives, as in "a backward look", "the northward road", etc; used even by speakers who usually use -wards for adverbs.

Synonyms

ward

-wards

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wəd/

Etymology

Inherited from Old English: -weard

Cognate with Dutch: -waarts

Cognate with Low German: -warts

Cognate with German: -wärts

Cognate with Old Norse: -verðr

Cognate with Icelandic: -verðr

Cognate with Swedish: -vart

Cognate with Gothic: -𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃

Cognate with Latin: vertere

Cognate with Sanskrit: वर्तते

In summary

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, Old Norse -verðr, Icelandic -verðr, Swedish -vart, Gothic -𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (-wairþs), Latin vertere (“to turn”) or versus (“toward”), and Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “he turns”). Also related to worth (“to become”). Compare verse.