Etymograph

English

forthward

Forthward comes from Old English forþweard ‘forward, tending forward, continual’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *furþą ‘forth-’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furþą1‘forth-’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150forþweard1‘forward, tending forward, continual’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forthward1
  4. Englishtodayforthward1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English forthward

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furþąWiktionary, English forthward‘forth-’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150forþweardWiktionary, English forthward‘forward, tending forward, continual’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forthwardWiktionary, English forthward
  4. EnglishtodayforthwardWiktionary, English forthward

Formed from forth + ward

Proto-Indo-European *wer- ‘to cover’

…

Proto-Germanic *wardō ‘protection, attention, keeping’

Proto-West Germanic *wardu

Old English weard ‘watching, ward, protection’

Middle English ward

English ward

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to cross’

first, before, per, far, price, private, support, press, practice, further, report, pre, prime, appreciate, fear, primary, opportunity, prior, prize, pregnant, practical, transport, precious, sport, praise, port, interpretation, privilege, ferry, parade, pirate, par, ford, primitive, prix, fare, porch, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, 155 more

through Proto-Germanic *furþą ‘forth-’

afford, 4 more

Today it means

adv Forward.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “forthward”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *furþą / forthward

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