As a suffix it appears in some 100 words, over half of which are adverbs, with a number of adjectives, some prepositions, one conjunction, one interjection, and a few nouns formed from adjectives. The senses of the suffix can be divided into three main groups: (a) directional or positional, with the meanings ‘in the direction of, toward’ or ‘at or in the position of’ for adverbs and prepositions and ‘having the direction or position of’ for adjectives. The great majority of the relevant words belong to this group: though some have only the directional sense and a few have only the positional sense, most have both. Some examples are: the adverbs abakward, afeld-ward, ars-ward (a), aside-ward, ayen-ward 1. & 2., doun-ward 1. & 2., forth-ward 1. & 2., hethen-ward, hider-ward 1., hindward, hom-ward 1., north-westward, outward(e 1. & 2., overward, samenward, thennesward, ther-toward (a), togederward, westward, whethenward, and yonderward; the adjectives bak-ward (a), for(e-ward, hom-ward, in-ward 1a. & 1b., onward (a), seward, southward (a), upward, uvewarde (a) & (c), and westward (a); the prepositions adounward, after-ward (a), doun-ward, froward 1. & 2., in-ward, overward, toward 1., 2., & 3., untilward, and withward; the conjunction whiderward; and the interjection outward(e; (b) temporal, with the meaning ‘at a time’ (specified by the preceding element). This sense is found chiefly in adverbs (e.g., afore-ward (b), after-ward 2., aye-ward (d), for(e-ward 3., forth-ward 3., her-after-ward (a), (b), & (c), hider-toward, hider-ward 2., onward (c), ther-afterward, toward (b) & (c)), but occas. in other parts of speech (e.g., and-weard adj. (a), toward adj. 1.(a) & (b), and toward prep. 5.(b) & (c)); (c) transferred, extended, or figurative, usu. a development of the directional or positional sense. Some examples are: the adverbs afore-ward (c), after-ward 3., ars-ward (b), ayen-ward 3., 5., & 6., aye-ward (c) & (e), doun-ward 4.(a) & (b), for(e-ward 1.(b) & 4., her-after-ward (d), in-ward 3. & 4., onward (d) & (e), outward(e 3., sinward, ther-toward (b) & (c), thiderward 1a.(d), toward (d), and upward 6a. & 6b.; the adjectives about(e)-ward, and-weard (c), awei-ward 2.(c), (d), & (e), bak-ward (b) & (c), but(e)-ward, froward, in-ward 2a., 2b., 2c., 2d., & 3., onward (c), outward(e 1.(d) & 2., toward 2., and weiward; and the prepositions after-ward (b), froward 3., onward (b), and toward 6., 7., & 8. The suffix is derived from OE, where it occurred primarily in adjectives formed from adverbs, but also sometimes in adverbs (with or without the adverbial -e), and had the same directional or positional, temporal, and transferred meanings as in ME. Over one-third of the ME words with this suffix are directly from OE; the rest are ME creations, usu. formed from an adverb but occas. from a noun (e.g., ars-ward adv. from ars, seward adj. from se n.(1), sinward adv. from sinne).

As a combining element it appears as the final element in phrases consisting of a preposition plus a noun or a pronoun in the dative or accusative case. This usage has its origins in two OE constructions: (a) the prepositions to or wiþ plus noun or pronoun usu. in the genitive case plus weard adv. (e.g., with genitive: ‘to mynstre weard’, ‘to ðære burge weard’, ‘wið his weard’, ‘wið ðæs heres weard’; with possible dative or accusative: ‘to his drihtne werd’, ‘to heora lande weard’, ‘wið heofonas weard’); (b) the prepositions on, fram, or oþ plus adjective with -weard suf. used as noun (e.g., ‘on æfteweard’, ‘on easteweardum’, ‘on forwearde’, ‘on middeweardan’, ‘fram ufeweardon’, ‘oð nyþeweard’). This latter construction continues into ME, e.g. in for(e-ward adj. & n. (b) & (c), mid-ward n.(1), adj., & adv. 1. passim, north-ward adv. (d), southward adj. (b), upward n., uvewarde adj. (b), and westward adj. (b). The combining-element usage is rare in early ME, but increases in frequency as time goes on, becoming very common from the late fourteenth century to the end of the fifteenth, and it extends to a great variety of nouns and pronouns and employs many additional prepositions. The senses are similar to those of the suffix noted in 1. above: usu. directional, sometimes positional, occas. transferred or figurative. The most frequently used preposition is to, but from, in-to, til, and unto are also used fairly often, and occas. in, o prep.(2), on, and out(e of. Selected examples follow [see also to prep. 1a.(k), 3.(b) & (d), et passim]: (a) with nouns referring to places, structures, objects, a part of the body, etc.: to court (kichene, palais, wode, york, etc.) ~, to the world (cite, fold, middel, nekke, sepulcre, etc.) ~, to his contree (your castel) ~; from burdeux (chepinge, london, scot, the stepel, etc.) ~; in-to engelond (temese, the freitour, hot contrees, oure kitthe, etc.) ~; o (on) gate ~; oute of engelond ~; til oure contree ~; unto picardie (his ouen hous) ~; to bed ~, toward or at bedtime; to (in-to) purse ~, as regards the purse [for others see, e.g., chirche-ward adv., dore n.(1) 4.(e), ende-ward adv. as n., ertheward adv. and n., gardin n. 2.(b), helle n. 1.(g), heven n. 1a.(b) et passim, Rome n. 1.(a), se n.(1) 1b.(d), ship n. 1a.(a), stret(e n.(2) 2.(a), Thebes n. (a), toun n. 5.(a), water n. 2a.(a) & (b)]; (b) with nouns referring to abstractions, events, a time of day or year, etc.: to blaknesse (deth, leccherie, messe, mete, perfeccioun, sinne, treuth, werk, etc.) ~ [see also deth n. 3b.], to the diner (feste, mariage, sege) ~, to hire helpinge (his nature, his passioun, youre helthe, god thinges) ~; from prime (a bataille) ~; in-to winter ~; unto his deth ~; (c) with nouns referring to persons, God, an animal: to darius (god, horn, seinte martin) ~ [see also God n.(1) 5.(d)], to the amiral (the king, the prince, a peintour, min ladie) ~; from god (the lioun) ~; til seinte jon ~; unto god (seinte german, the womman, min ladie) ~; (d) with pronouns, referring chiefly to persons, occas. God, an animal, or something inanimate: to hem (him, him-self, hire, me, the, theim, us, you) ~ [see also hem pron. pl. 4.(d), him pron. 7.(c), me pron.(2) 1.(c)]; from hem (him, me, theim, us) ~; in hire ~; til him ~; unto him (me) ~; and it were to me ~, if it were up to me.