Where does “backward” come from?
Backward comes from Middle English bakwarde, a compound of back and -ward meaning "turned toward the back."
backward (English): In the direction towards the back; In the...
Definitions
- In the direction towards the back; In the...
Ancestry of “backward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bakwarde | — |
| 2 | English | -ward | Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to,... |
| 3 | Old English | -weard | Forming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wardaz | turned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |