Directionals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Indications or instructions that specify orientation or course to follow in space or time ; linguistic elements marking spatial, temporal, or figurative positions ; visual or symbolic cues guiding movement or arrangement
2. Signs, words, or symbols used to point out positions, paths, or angles relative to a reference point ; grammatical units indicating locations or times ; directional markers conveying guidance or alignment
3. Terms or indicators that express orientation by showing where something is located or how to get somewhere ; parts of language that encode spatial or temporal relationships ; navigational or instructional signals used to direct or organize movement and placement

Etymology: "Directionals" is simply the plural of "directional," which in turn is "direction" with the adjectival suffix "-al" attached. The suffix traces back through Latin "-ālis," which English picked up via Old French "-al" and Middle English "-al," so the ending itself has been adding "relating to" to nouns for well over a thousand years. The core noun "direction" is the more revealing part. It descends from the same ancient root as "direct," the Latin "dirigere," meaning to arrange or guide in a straight line, built from "dis-" (apart) and "regere" (to lead or rule). The idea of a straight course laid out ahead is therefore built into the word from the start, and "directional" keeps that sense of pointing a path. Its meaning in the plural stretches from literal signposts to grammatical markers of place and time, which all share that original notion of guiding someone along a line.

Synonyms: orientations, headings, bearings, routes, courses