Where does “forward” come from?
Forward comes from Middle English foreward, from Old English foreward, composed of the prefix fore- and the root per- from Proto-Indo-European per-, meaning to go through or ahead.
forward (English): Toward the front or at the front; Without...
Definitions
- Toward the front or at the front; Without...
Ancestry of “forward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | foreward | forward; agreement, contract, treaty, bargain,... |
| 2 | Old English | foreweard | forward, fore, former, early, prior; an... |
| 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;... |