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rear·ward²

(rîrwôrd′)

The rear guard of an armed force.

[Middle English rerewarde, from Anglo-Norman : rere, behind (from Latin retrō; see re- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + warde, guard (of Germanic origin; see wer-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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