-wards
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English -wardes, from Old English -weardes, a variant of -weard; equivalent to -ward + -s (adverbial suffix).
Pronunciation edit
- (unstressed)
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wədz/
- (General American) IPA(key): /wɚdz/
- (stressed, in the word "towards" only)
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wɔːdz/
- (General American) IPA(key): /wɔɹdz/
Suffix edit
-wards
- Forming adjectives and adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backwards", "towards", etc.
- 1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu”, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC:
- (Katisha:) At once I go Mikado-wards!
Usage notes edit
- The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used with adverbs, though -ward is heavily favoured for adjectives.
- Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since (earlier sithens), etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
forming adverbs