Where does “upwards” come from?
Upwards derives from Middle English upwardes, from Old English upweardes, a compound form indicating direction toward a higher position.
upwards (English): Towards a higher place; towards what is above; To...
Definitions
- Towards a higher place; towards what is above; To...
Ancestry of “upwards”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | upwardes | — |
| 2 | Old English | upweardes | upwards |
| 3 | Old English | upweard | turned upwards |
| 4 | Old English | -weard | Forming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wardaz | turned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |