Etymograph

English

sideway

Sideway comes from Middle English side-way.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500side-way1
  2. Englishtodaysideway1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English sideway

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500side-wayWiktionary, English sideway
  2. EnglishtodaysidewayWiktionary, English sideway

A compound of side + way

Proto-Germanic *sīdaz ‘drooping’

Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ ‘side’

Old English sīde ‘side’

Middle English side

English side

Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- ‘to bring’

Proto-Germanic *wegaz

Proto-West Germanic *weg ‘way’

Old English weġ

Middle English way

English way

Every English word from Middle English side-way

Today it means

noun A footpath near a road.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sideway”. 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 / Middle English side-way / sideway

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