north-westadv.adj.n.

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian northwester (in northwestersīde ; West Frisian noardwest ), Old Dutch northuuest (Middle Dutch nortwest , Dutch noordwest ), Middle Low German nōrtwest < the Germanic base of north adv. + the Germanic base of west adv. Compare also German Nordwest, Icelandic norðvestur, Norwegian nordvest, Swedish nordväst, Danish nordvest, and (after forms in English or in other Germanic languages) Old French north west (1155; Middle French northouest, Middle French, French nordouest), Spanish †norueste (a1494), noroeste (1545), †nordovest (1734), Portuguese noroeste (1462), Italian nordovest (1504 as nordodeste).Compare also Old English norðanwestan from the north-west ( < northen adv. + westen adv.); compare Old High German nordanwestan , noun, and also Middle Dutch nortwesten- , Middle Low German nōrtwesten- , in compounds, Old High German nordwestan , noun. With sense B. 2 compare Old English norðanwestan wind . The adjectival use in English apparently developed from the Old English use of the adverb stem as the first element of compounds (compare discussion at north adv., adj., and n.). The modern English system of compass points comprising four cardinal points bisected by four intermediate points denominated by compounds (north-east , south-east , south-west , north-west ) was in use at least by the early 12th cent. It superseded an older twelve-point system (with its origin in the twelve winds of antiquity) in which each quadrant was subdivided by two intermediate points at 30° intervals (again denominated by compounds: north-east , east-north ; east-south , south-east ; south-west , west-south ; west-north , north-west , although it is unclear with what degree of exactitude these terms were applied, as the surviving texts evince much confusion); see further A. K. Brown ‘The English Compass Points’ in Medium Ævum 47 (1978) 221–46. In the older twelve-point system the companion point to north-west in the north-western quadrant was denominated west-north (compare Old High German westnordar , westnordrōni , adjectives); the compound is attested in Old English:eOE Corpus Gloss. (1890) 32/1 Circius, westnorðwind.eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) i. i. 12 Be westan Ealdseaxum is Ælfe muþa þære ie & Frisland, & þonan westnorð is þæt lond þe mon Ongle hæt & Sillende & sumne dæl Dene.Compare also Old English westan-norðan (adverb) from the north-west ( < westen adv. + northen adv.; compare Old High German westannordan, westannord, nouns, Old Swedish västannordhanvädher wind blowing from the north-west).