toweard

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *tōward. Equivalent to tō- +‎ -weard.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːˈwæ͜ɑrd/, [toːˈwæ͜ɑrˠd] (preposition)
• IPA^(key): /ˈtoːˌwæ͜ɑrd/, [ˈtoːˌwæ͜ɑrˠd] (adjective)

Preposition

tōweard

1. toward (with genitive or dative)

Adjective

tōweard

1. future

   Hæfst þū mīn tōwearde wīf ġemētt?

   Have you met my future wife?

   • c. 995, Ælfric,Extracts on Grammar in English

     Þrēo tīda sind on ǣlcum worde: andweard tīd, forðġewiten tīd, and tōweard tīd.

     There are three tenses for each verb: present tense, past tense, and future tense.

2. coming; impending, approaching

   sē tōwearda winter

   the coming winter

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Swā-swā scypes [hlāford], þonne þæt scyp unge-tǣlicost on ancre rīt and sēo sǣ hrēohost byð, ðonne wōt hē ġewiss smelte wedere tōwæard.

     So the ship's master, when the ship rideth most unsteadily at anchor and the sea is roughest, then knoweth of a truth that calm weather is coming.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year

     Menn magon cēpan be þæs mōnan blēo hwelċ weder tōweard biþ.

     People can observe from the color of the moon what kind of weather is coming.

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "The Passion of the Apostles Simon and Jude"

     Hīe ġewunodon on ġehwelcre byrġ oþ þæt hīe ġeāscodon þā apostolas tōwearde.

     They stopped in every town until they heard that the apostles were on the way there.

   • c. 900, The Consolation of Philosophy

     Þēah hē nū nāwiht elles næbbe ymb tō sorgienne, þæt him mæġ tō sorge þæt hē nāt hwæt him tōweard biþ.

     Even if right now he has nothing else to worry about, it can still bother him that he doesn’t know what's in store for his future.

Declension

Declension of tōweard — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	tōweard	tōweard	tōweard
Accusative	tōweardne	tōwearde	tōweard
Genitive	tōweardes	tōweardre	tōweardes
Dative	tōweardum	tōweardre	tōweardum
Instrumental	tōwearde	tōweardre	tōwearde
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	tōwearde	tōwearda, tōwearde	tōweard
Accusative	tōwearde	tōwearda, tōwearde	tōweard
Genitive	tōweardra	tōweardra	tōweardra
Dative	tōweardum	tōweardum	tōweardum
Instrumental	tōweardum	tōweardum	tōweardum

Declension of tōweard — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	tōwearda	tōwearde	tōwearde
Accusative	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōwearde
Genitive	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōweardan
Dative	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōweardan
Instrumental	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōweardan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōweardan
Accusative	tōweardan	tōweardan	tōweardan
Genitive	tōweardra, tōweardena	tōweardra, tōweardena	tōweardra, tōweardena
Dative	tōweardum	tōweardum	tōweardum
Instrumental	tōweardum	tōweardum	tōweardum

Derived terms

• tōweardes
• tōweardnes

Descendants

• Middle English: toward
  • English: toward
  • Scots: towart