Where does “midwestward” come from?
midwestward (English) comes from English ward, from Middle English ward, from Old English weard, from Old English ōra, from Old English ēar, from Proto-Germanic ahaz, from Proto-Finnic ahtas, from Proto-Baltic anśtas — to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
midwestward (English): Toward the Midwest
Definitions
- Toward the Midwest
Ancestry of “midwestward”, step by step
midwestward traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ward | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ward | ward, keeping |
| 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;... |
via English Midwest
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Midwest | The area of the contiguous United States contained in the central third of the country, especially the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, sometimes inclusive of Missouri and Kentucky |
| 2 | English | West | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 3 | Middle English | west | west; A location to the south; the south; The... |
| 4 | Old English | west | west |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *westr | western, westernly |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | westrą | west; west, westward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | westraz | west, western |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wek(ʷ)speros | evening |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | we- | — |