Where does “onwardness” come from?

onwardness (English) comes from English onward, from English on, from Middle English on, from Old English on, from Proto-West Germanic ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic ana, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.

onwardness (English): Progress; advancement

Definitions

  1. Progress; advancement

Ancestry of “onwardness”, step by step

onwardness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English onward

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishonwardMoving forward; Advanced in a forward direction...
2EnglishonIn the state of being active, functioning or...
3Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
4Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
5Proto-West Germanicanaon
6Proto-Germanic*an
7Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en-Every word from Proto-Germanic anaEvery word from Proto-Germanic *an