In a forward direction or manner; toward the front or future.
From Old English 'forth' + '-ward' (direction suffix). The '-ward' suffix originally marked direction and appears in words like 'backward,' 'forward,' and 'wayward.'
We have 'forward' and 'onwards' now, so 'forthward' fell out of use—but it shows how Old English could build directional words with remarkable flexibility and precision.
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