Toward the direction one came from; backward or in return.
Compound of 'again' (Old English 'ongean') and 'ward' (Old English 'weard' meaning direction). This archaic term combined the concept of return with directional motion.
This word is almost extinct in modern English, but it shows how speakers used to be much more creative with 'ward' suffixes—you can find them in maritime language like 'leeward' and 'windward,' which are still very much alive!
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