Where does “backwardmost” come from?
backwardmost (English) comes from English backward, from Middle English bakwarde, from English -ward, from Old English -weard, from Proto-Germanic wardaz, from Proto-Germanic werþaz, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “backwardmost”, step by step
backwardmost traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English backward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | backward | In the direction towards the back; In the... |
| 2 | Middle English | bakwarde | — |
| 3 | English | -ward | Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to,... |
| 4 | Old English | -weard | Forming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wardaz | turned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |