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.

Structure: west (direction) + ward (oriented towards) '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'.