Onweard

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Indicating movement or direction toward a point ahead or further along in space or time; proceeding forward in a sequence or process; continuing in a manner progressing onward
2. Referring to advance in place or time moving ahead from a starting point; going forward in action, thought, or position; extending or pushing onward in progress or journey
3. Denoting motion or position directing forwards or beyond a known point; developing further in order or chronology; pursuing a path or course that moves onward or ahead

Etymology: The form "onweard" is Old English, and it is the ancestor of modern "onward." Its parts are "on," meaning "on" or "in," and "weard," meaning "turned toward," the same element that appears in "homeward" and "backward." Literally it meant "turned toward what is on" or "facing forward," and in Old English it could describe something that was present or at hand, or that was about to happen. The sense of moving ahead in space and time came from that idea of facing toward what lies in front. Over the following centuries, the adverb picked up the -s ending seen in "onwards" and "towards," which were both used interchangeably for much of English history. "Onward" survived as the standard form in modern English, so the Old English spelling now looks unfamiliar even though the meaning has changed little.