Where does “backwards” come from?
Backwards derives from English back with the English possessive suffix -'s, from Middle English -s, from Old Swedish nattbakka, from Latin bassus, from Ancient Greek βάσις, from Proto-Indo-European gʷémtis.
backwards (English): Oriented toward the back; Reversed; Behind...
Definitions
- Oriented toward the back; Reversed; Behind...
Ancestry of “backwards”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -s | Used to form regular plurals of nouns; Used to... |
| 2 | English | ’s | — |
| 3 | English | Kingstown | OS grid ref NY3959 |
| 4 | English | town | A settlement; an area with residential districts,... |
| 5 | Middle English | toun | town |
| 6 | Middle English | ende | The end or finishing of a thing; the terminal... |
| 7 | Old English | ende | end, limit, border, corner |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |