Toward the heart; in the direction of the heart or center of emotion.
From Old English 'heorte' (heart) + '-ward' (toward), from Proto-Germanic 'werthaz'. The '-ward' suffix has been used since Old English to indicate direction or movement.
This is an archaic directional word rarely used in modern English, but it shows how Middle English speakers loved creating precise direction words—they had 'skyward,' 'homeward,' 'heavenward'—each suggesting emotional journeys as much as physical ones.
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