-wards

See also: wards and -ward

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Old English -weardes, a variant of -weard; see -ward for more.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wə(ɹ)dz/

Suffix

-wards

Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backwards", "towards", etc.
- 1885, W.S. Gilbert, A. Sullivan, The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu:
  (Katisha:) At once I go Mikado-wards!

Usage notes

The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used.
Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since Old English sithens, etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially.

Derived terms

► <a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-wards' title='Category:English words suffixed with -wards'>English words suffixed with -wards</a>

Related terms

-ward

Translations

forming adverbs

Dutch: -waarts (nl)
Hebrew: ־ה‎ (-a), ל־‎ (he) (l'-)

Latvian: -up (lv)
Yiddish: אַר־‎ (ar-)

forming adjectives

Dutch: -waarts (nl)

Anagrams

Sward, draws, sward

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