Where does “Woodward” come from?
Woodward derives from English wood, from Middle English wood, from Old English wudu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.
Woodward (English): A warden of a wood
Definitions
- A warden of a wood
Ancestry of “Woodward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | wodeward | A forester; a forest warden |
| 2 | Old English | wuduweard | a wood-keeper, forester |
| 3 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 4 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 5 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 8 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |