Where does “landward” come from?
Landward derives from English land combined with the directional suffix -ward, with land itself tracing to Middle English lond, Old English land, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European lendʰ-, meaning to clear or make arable.
landward (English): Located, facing or moving in the direction of the...
Definitions
- Located, facing or moving in the direction of the...
Ancestry of “landward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ward | Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to,... |
| 2 | Old English | -weard | Forming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wardaz | turned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |