westward
Meaning
Moving or facing towards the west
Towards the west
Structure
Usage
They began their westward journey across the plains.
The storm is moving westward at 20 miles per hour.
From the hill, we gazed westward over the ocean.
Etymology
The word 'westward' is a directional compound formed entirely within the Germanic branch of English. Its first element, 'west', originates from the Proto-Germanic westrą, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root wes-, meaning 'evening' or 'to go down', intrinsically linking the cardinal direction to the setting sun. The suffix '-ward', from Old English '-weard', denotes orientation or direction toward something, related to the verb 'weorþan' meaning 'to become' or 'to turn'. Thus, the literal construction 'west-ward' elegantly means 'turned toward the west', a meaning that has remained transparent and unchanged from its Old English form to its modern usage as both an adjective and an adverb describing direction.
Analysis
'west' is from Old English 'west', of Germanic origin, related to the evening and the direction of the setting sun. 'ward' is a suffix from Old English '-weard', meaning 'turning, tending, facing'.