Where does “polewards” come from?
polewards (English) comes from English wards, 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 — to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
polewards (English): Towards a pole
Ancestry of “polewards”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | wards | plural of ward; Third-person singular simple... |
| 2 | English | ward | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;... |
| 3 | Middle English | ward | ward, keeping |
| 4 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 5 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 6 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 9 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |