Where does “whiderward” come from?
whiderward (Middle English) comes from Middle English whider, from Old English hwider, from Old English hwæder, from Proto-Germanic *hwadrê.
Ancestry of “whiderward”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | whider | — |
| 2 | Old English | hwider | to where, whither |
| 3 | Old English | hwæder | Alternative form of hwider |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *hwadrê | — |