English
outward
Outward comes from Middle English outward ‘outside’, from Proto-West Germanic *ūt ‘out, outward’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *úd.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*úd‘upwards, away, out, outward’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ūt‘out, outward’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame form‘out, outward’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ūt‘outside, outdoors’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ūtweard‘outward, to the outside’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500outward‘outside’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*úd‘upwards, away, out, outward’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ūt‘out, outward’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CEsame form‘out, outward’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ūt‘outside, outdoors’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ūtweard‘outward, to the outside’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500outward‘outside’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485same form
Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, iij: “ANd thenne the quene lete make a preuy dyner…”
Formed from out + -ward
Proto-Indo-European *úd ‘upwards, away’
Proto-Germanic *ūt ‘out’
Proto-West Germanic *ūt ‘out’
Old English ūt ‘out’
Middle English out
English out
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *úd ‘upwards, away, out, outward’
amaze, uterus, awaken, hubris, uterine, aghast, hysteresis, 8 more
through Proto-Germanic *ūt ‘out, outward’
through Old English ūt ‘outside, outdoors’
Today it means
adj Outer; located towards the outside.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *úd / outward