Where does “southwards” come from?
Southwards derives from Old English -weardes, itself from Old English -es and Proto-Germanic -as, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European wer-.
southwards (English): In a southerly direction; towards the south
Definitions
- In a southerly direction; towards the south
Ancestry of “southwards”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -wards | Forming adjectives and adverbs denoting course or... |
| 2 | Old English | -weardes | Alternative form of -weard |
| 3 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |