-wardssuffix

Primary stress is retained by the usual stressed syllable of the preceding element and vowels may be reduced accordingly, e.g. roostwards Brit.

/ˈruːstwədz/, U.S.

/ˈrustwərdz/.

Old English -weardes, corresponds to Old Saxon, Middle Low German -wardes, Dutch -waarts, Old High German, Middle High German -wartes, early modern German -warts, the ending of the neuter genitive singular (used adverbially) of adjectives in Germanic *-warđo-: see -ward suffix. A parallel formation of identical function, the adverbial neuter genitive singular of adjectives in Germanic *-werþo- (ablaut variant of *-warđo-), is represented by Gothic -wairþis, Old High German -wertes, early modern German -werts, now written -wärts. The adverbial genitives of adjectives in *-warđo-, *-werþo- appear to have in early Germanic differed little if at all in sense from the adverbial accusatives.

1. In English the history of -wards as an adverbial suffix is identical with that of -ward (see -ward suffix 3, 4); beside every adverb in -ward there has always existed (at least potentially) a parallel formation in -wards, and vice versa. The two forms are so nearly synonymous (the general sense of the adverbs being ‘in the direction indicated by the first element of the compound’) that the choice between them is mostly determined by some notion of euphony in the particular context; some persons, apparently, have a fixed preference for the one or the other form. Sometimes, however, the difference in the form of the suffix corresponds to a difference in the shade of meaning conveyed, though it would not be possible to give any general rule that would be universally accepted. Where the meaning to be expressed includes the notion of manner as well as direction of movement, -wards is required, as in ‘to walk backwards’, ‘to write backwards’. In other instances the distinction seems to be that -wards is used when the adverb is meant to express a definite direction in contrast with other directions: thus we say ‘it is moving forwards if it is moving at all’, but ‘to come forward’, not ‘forwards’ (see further the note on forward adv.); so ‘to travel eastward’ expresses generally the notion of travelling in the direction of an eastern goal, ‘to travel eastwards’ implies that the direction is thought of as contrasted with other possible directions. Hence -wards seems to have an air of precision which has caused it to be avoided in poetical use.

There appears to be no appreciable difference in meaning between the prepositions toward prep. and towards prep.; the latter is now, at least in British use, more common colloquially. The now obsolete prepositions fromward prep. and fromwards adv. and prep. at fromward adj., adv., and prep. Derivatives appear to have been perfectly synonymous.

2. In Old English the suffix -weardes, like -weard, was added to phrases containing the prepositions tó and wið (see -ward suffix 5). In the locutions to..ward(s, from..ward(s (the so-called tmesis of the preposition), the two forms of the suffix were formerly equally common, but -wards now survives only in dialects.

3. Examples of to..wards.

a. with proper name or noun without article or other defining word.

c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde i. 59 Yt is wel wist how þat Grekes stronge In armes with a þousand shippes went To Troye~wardes.

c1430 Contin. Brut 430 And tho the Kynge disposid hym to Godwardis.

c1560 R. Morice in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) 25 Manifest blasphemy to Godwards.

1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea xxii. 53 Our other Shippes..having kept their direct course, and far to wind-wards and Sea-wards,..could not heare the report.

1647 J. Howell New Vol. of Lett. 44 What the eye of a batt is to the sun, the same is all humane understanding to Godwards.

1650 W. Brough Sacred Princ. To Rdr. sig. A2^v Using them [sc. Books]..as..Guides and Helps to Heaven-wards.

1892 M. C. F. Morris Yorks. Folk-talk 260 The addition of ‘wards’ to nouns as a suffix denoting direction is frequent in our folk-talk—as ‘ti Newton-wards’ or ‘fra Newton-wards’.

b. with noun determined by definite article or otherwise.

1415 in 43rd Ann. Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. (1882) App. i. 589 in Parl. Papers (C. 3425) XXXVI. 1 My wyttys arne not to ye world wardys so redy as yey werne.

1589 J. Sparke in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations iii. 532 He marched to the townewardes.

c. with personal pronoun.

1399 W. Langland Richard Redeles iii. 76 Þe nedy nestlingis..burnisched her beekis and bent to-him-wardis.

c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxviii. 128 And, when þe Cristen men sawe þam com to þam wardes, þai ware riȝt ferde.

1442 T. Beckington Corr. (Rolls) II. 216 The continuancis of true obeissaunce unto us wards of our subgetts.

1472 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 449 Also I praye yow feele my lady off Norffolkys dysposicion to me wardys.

1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer i. f. cccxxxvi If that Margarite denyeth nowe nat to suffre her vertues shyne to the wardes, with spreadynge beames.

1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer iii. f. ccclv^v Aungels blysse that to him wardes was comyng.

1574 W. Bourne Regim. for Sea (1577) xiv. 42 If you remoue the transitory but a quarter the length of the transitory to youwards.

1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie cxx. 738 When God gathereth vs to him by death, wee cease not to liue still to himwardes.

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. v. sig. R2^v Euer concluding ech thing he did with his face to me-wards.

1635 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Donzella Desterrada 20 Behaving my selfe unmanerly to-you-wards.

1635 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Donzella Desterrada 169 The courteous inclination to me-wards, which to my good hap I discover in you.

1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. E4 You say, to me-wards, your affection's strong; Pray love me little, so you love me long.

4. Examples of from..wards.

1574 W. Bourne Regim. for Sea (1577) viii. 31 On the contrary side from the Sunnewardes.

1577 Vicary's Profitable Treat. Anat. sig. K.j Two Latitudinales comming from the backe wardes to the wombe.

1612 R. Ch. Olde Thrift newly Revived 76 The degrees of a Quadrant are likewise 90, from the Centre towards your right hand, hauing the Sines vpmost, & holding the Centre from you wards.

1644 K. Digby Two Treat. i. xxx. 265 The obiects comming into the glasse by a superficies not parallele..but sloaping, from the obiectwardes.

1665 R. Hooke Micrographia 162 The finger being rubb'd from the tail-wards towards the head.

1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) 189 And leave such always down during the Summer that are from the Sun-wards.

1678 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. iv. 64 Not letting the Plain [= plane] totter to or from you-wards.

5. Examples of nonce-words (adverbs) < n., proper name, or personal pronoun + -wards suffix.

1670 T. Brookes London's Lament. 124 Yet the bent of their hearts will still be God-wards, Christ-wards, Heaven-wards, and Holiness-wards.

1842 W. M. Thackeray Fitz-Boodle's Profess. i The nobles come peoplewards as the people..rise and mingle with the nobles.

1842 R. Browning Let. 13 July in F. G. Kenyon Robert Browning & Alfred Domett (1906) 39 Here is a slip just off you-wards and I write at night.

1845 F. W. Faber Lett. (1869) 229 Seventeen persons strikingly converted..some really being led in extraordinary ways, and perfectionwards.

1850 W. M. Thackeray Contrib. to Punch in Wks. (1898) VI. 683 A third darling, with..eyes of hazel, lifts them up ceiling-wards.

1866 A. Trollope Claverings iii Mr. Burton was not..an ambitious man. He had never soared Parliamentwards.

1866 H. H. Furness Let. 14 Nov. (1922) I. iii. 156 If you were anyone else than the dear.., kindly fellow that I knew & loved.., I should never dare to write this letter, my manifold sins of omission you-wards would palsy my hand and freeze my ink.

1868 Rep. Munit. War 60 The chief feature of the invention..consists in the contrivance adopted for preventing the escape of gas breech-wards.

1878 Huxley in Fortn. Rev. XXIII. 170 The theory of the motion of the blood returned once more to the strait road which leads truthwards.

1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 21 July 4/1 Russiawards the new line may be fire-fringed and fatal. Afghanwards it is no such thing.

1893 K. Grahame Pagan Ess. 145 Aunt Eliza's fowls—already strolling roostwards.

1893 D. C. Murray Time's Revenges I. vii. 129 He was growing downwards, brutewards.

†6. In the 17–18th centuries the suffix -wards was often appended to phrases like this way, that way, our way, etc., preceded or not by to or from.In printed books it was common to join the suffix to the word way (either with or without hyphen), but to leave the preceding words of the phrase without hyphen, so that way-wards or waywards has a fallacious appearance of being a word.

1682 G. Wheler Journey into Greece vi. 474 Not very far from hence we cross'd a stream that ran from this Way-wards thither.

1686 F. Spence tr. A. Varillas Ἀνεκδοτα Ἑτερουιακα 169 He invited their children to a match of hunting that way-wards where he was to embarque.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	-wards
释义	-wardssuffix Primary stress is retained by the usual stressed syllable of the preceding element and vowels may be reduced accordingly, e.g. roostwards Brit. /ˈruːstwədz/, U.S. /ˈrustwərdz/. Old English -weardes, corresponds to Old Saxon, Middle Low German -wardes, Dutch -waarts, Old High German, Middle High German -wartes, early modern German -warts, the ending of the neuter genitive singular (used adverbially) of adjectives in Germanic -warđo-: see -ward suffix. A parallel formation of identical function, the adverbial neuter genitive singular of adjectives in Germanic -werþo- (ablaut variant of -warđo-), is represented by Gothic -wairþis, Old High German -wertes, early modern German -werts, now written -wärts. The adverbial genitives of adjectives in -warđo-, -werþo- appear to have in early Germanic differed little if at all in sense from the adverbial accusatives. 1. In English the history of -wards* as an adverbial suffix is identical with that of -ward (see -ward suffix 3, 4); beside every adverb in -ward there has always existed (at least potentially) a parallel formation in -wards, and vice versa. The two forms are so nearly synonymous (the general sense of the adverbs being ‘in the direction indicated by the first element of the compound’) that the choice between them is mostly determined by some notion of euphony in the particular context; some persons, apparently, have a fixed preference for the one or the other form. Sometimes, however, the difference in the form of the suffix corresponds to a difference in the shade of meaning conveyed, though it would not be possible to give any general rule that would be universally accepted. Where the meaning to be expressed includes the notion of manner as well as direction of movement, -wards is required, as in ‘to walk backwards’, ‘to write backwards’. In other instances the distinction seems to be that -wards is used when the adverb is meant to express a definite direction in contrast with other directions: thus we say ‘it is moving forwards if it is moving at all’, but ‘to come forward’, not ‘forwards’ (see further the note on forward adv.); so ‘to travel eastward’ expresses generally the notion of travelling in the direction of an eastern goal, ‘to travel eastwards’ implies that the direction is thought of as contrasted with other possible directions. Hence -wards seems to have an air of precision which has caused it to be avoided in poetical use. There appears to be no appreciable difference in meaning between the prepositions toward prep. and towards prep.; the latter is now, at least in British use, more common colloquially. The now obsolete prepositions fromward prep. and fromwards adv. and prep. at fromward adj., adv., and prep. Derivatives appear to have been perfectly synonymous. 2. In Old English the suffix -weardes, like -weard, was added to phrases containing the prepositions tó and wið (see -ward suffix 5). In the locutions to..ward(s, from..ward(s (the so-called tmesis of the preposition), the two forms of the suffix were formerly equally common, but -wards now survives only in dialects. 3. Examples of to..wards. a. with proper name or noun without article or other defining word. Π c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde i. 59 Yt is wel wist how þat Grekes stronge In armes with a þousand shippes went To Troye~wardes. c1430 Contin. Brut 430 And tho the Kynge disposid hym to Godwardis. c1560 R. Morice in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) 25 Manifest blasphemy to Godwards. 1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea xxii. 53 Our other Shippes..having kept their direct course, and far to wind-wards and Sea-wards,..could not heare the report. 1647 J. Howell New Vol. of Lett. 44 What the eye of a batt is to the sun, the same is all humane understanding to Godwards. 1650 W. Brough Sacred Princ. To Rdr. sig. A2^v Using them [sc. Books]..as..Guides and Helps to Heaven-wards. 1892 M. C. F. Morris Yorks. Folk-talk 260 The addition of ‘wards’ to nouns as a suffix denoting direction is frequent in our folk-talk—as ‘ti Newton-wards’ or ‘fra Newton-wards’. b. with noun determined by definite article or otherwise. Π 1415 in 43rd Ann. Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. (1882) App. i. 589 in Parl. Papers (C. 3425) XXXVI. 1 My wyttys arne not to ye world wardys so redy as yey werne. 1589 J. Sparke in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations iii. 532 He marched to the townewardes. c. with personal pronoun. Π 1399 W. Langland Richard Redeles iii. 76 Þe nedy nestlingis..burnisched her beekis and bent to-him-wardis. c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xxviii. 128 And, when þe Cristen men sawe þam com to þam wardes, þai ware riȝt ferde. 1442 T. Beckington Corr. (Rolls) II. 216 The continuancis of true obeissaunce unto us wards of our subgetts. 1472 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 449 Also I praye yow feele my lady off Norffolkys dysposicion to me wardys. 1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer i. f. cccxxxvi If that Margarite denyeth nowe nat to suffre her vertues shyne to the wardes, with spreadynge beames. 1532 (c1385) Usk's Test. Loue in Wks. G. Chaucer iii. f. ccclv^v Aungels blysse that to him wardes was comyng. 1574 W. Bourne Regim. for Sea (1577) xiv. 42 If you remoue the transitory but a quarter the length of the transitory to youwards. 1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie cxx. 738 When God gathereth vs to him by death, wee cease not to liue still to himwardes. a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. v. sig. R2^v Euer concluding ech thing he did with his face to me-wards. 1635 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Donzella Desterrada 20 Behaving my selfe unmanerly to-you-wards. 1635 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Donzella Desterrada 169 The courteous inclination to me-wards, which to my good hap I discover in you. 1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. E4 You say, to me-wards, your affection's strong; Pray love me little, so you love me long. 4. Examples of from..wards. Π 1574 W. Bourne Regim. for Sea (1577) viii. 31 On the contrary side from the Sunnewardes. 1577 Vicary's Profitable Treat. Anat. sig. K.j Two Latitudinales comming from the backe wardes to the wombe. 1612 R. Ch. Olde Thrift newly Revived 76 The degrees of a Quadrant are likewise 90, from the Centre towards your right hand, hauing the Sines vpmost, & holding the Centre from you wards. 1644 K. Digby Two Treat. i. xxx. 265 The obiects comming into the glasse by a superficies not parallele..but sloaping, from the obiectwardes. 1665 R. Hooke Micrographia 162 The finger being rubb'd from the tail-wards towards the head. 1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) 189 And leave such always down during the Summer that are from the Sun-wards. 1678 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. iv. 64 Not letting the Plain [= plane] totter to or from you-wards. 5. Examples of nonce-words (adverbs) < n., proper name, or personal pronoun + -wards suffix. Π 1670 T. Brookes London's Lament. 124 Yet the bent of their hearts will still be God-wards, Christ-wards, Heaven-wards, and Holiness-wards. 1842 W. M. Thackeray Fitz-Boodle's Profess. i The nobles come peoplewards as the people..rise and mingle with the nobles. 1842 R. Browning Let. 13 July in F. G. Kenyon Robert Browning & Alfred Domett (1906) 39 Here is a slip just off you-wards and I write at night. 1845 F. W. Faber Lett. (1869) 229 Seventeen persons strikingly converted..some really being led in extraordinary ways, and perfectionwards. 1850 W. M. Thackeray Contrib. to Punch in Wks. (1898) VI. 683 A third darling, with..eyes of hazel, lifts them up ceiling-wards. 1866 A. Trollope Claverings iii Mr. Burton was not..an ambitious man. He had never soared Parliamentwards. 1866 H. H. Furness Let. 14 Nov. (1922) I. iii. 156 If you were anyone else than the dear.., kindly fellow that I knew & loved.., I should never dare to write this letter, my manifold sins of omission you-wards would palsy my hand and freeze my ink. 1868 Rep. Munit. War 60 The chief feature of the invention..consists in the contrivance adopted for preventing the escape of gas breech-wards. 1878 Huxley in Fortn. Rev. XXIII. 170 The theory of the motion of the blood returned once more to the strait road which leads truthwards. 1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 21 July 4/1 Russiawards the new line may be fire-fringed and fatal. Afghanwards it is no such thing. 1893 K. Grahame Pagan Ess. 145 Aunt Eliza's fowls—already strolling roostwards. 1893 D. C. Murray Time's Revenges I. vii. 129 He was growing downwards, brutewards. †6. In the 17–18th centuries the suffix -wards was often appended to phrases like this way, that way, our way, etc., preceded or not by to or from.In printed books it was common to join the suffix to the word way (either with or without hyphen), but to leave the preceding words of the phrase without hyphen, so that way-wards or waywards has a fallacious appearance of being a word. Π 1682 G. Wheler Journey into Greece vi. 474 Not very far from hence we cross'd a stream that ran from this Way-wards thither. 1686 F. Spence tr. A. Varillas Ἀνεκδοτα Ἑτερουιακα 169 He invited their children to a match of hunting that way-wards where he was to embarque. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < suffixc1374
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