西へ
解説 Definition
westwards は「西へ、西の方向へ」を意味する副詞です。移動や方向転換などが西に向かうことを表します。
Westwards is an adverb meaning toward the west or in a westerly direction. It commonly modifies verbs of movement or orientation, such as move, travel, drive, flow, or turn, and is especially frequent in British English.
使い方 Usage
使い分け Common distinctions
- 副詞の westward とほぼ同義です。westwards は特にイギリス英語でよく見られ、アメリカ英語では westward がよく使われます。 The adverb westward has essentially the same meaning. Westwards is especially common in British English, while westward is often used in American English.
- western は通常、場所などを「西の、西部の」と説明する形容詞です。西へ進む方向を表す westwards と区別しましょう。 Western is usually an adjective describing a place or something associated with the west. Distinguish it from westwards, which expresses direction.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
west「西」＋方向を表す -wards で「西の方へ」。北が上の地図で、車や雲が左へ進む場面を思い浮かべましょう。
Combine west with the directional ending -wards: toward the west. Picture a car or clouds moving left on a map with north at the top.
例文
The clouds moved westwards in the evening sky.
夕方の空で雲が西へ流れていきました。
They drove westwards until they reached the coast.
彼らは海岸に着くまで西へ車を走らせました。
The river turns westwards after it passes the old bridge.
その川は古い橋を過ぎると西へ向きを変えます。
westwards の類義語・関連語
westwards の語源・成り立ち Etymology
westwards は west「西」＋ -ward(s)「…の方へ」から成る語です。west は古英語 west にさかのぼり、もとは「夕日が沈む方角」を指したため、『西へ向かって』という意味が形そのままに分かります。関連語は western, westward。
Westwards combines west with the directional ending -wards. West is inherited from Old English west and has cognates across the Germanic languages. The element -ward comes from Old English -weard, expressing direction or orientation, while the additional adverbial -s developed in forms such as towards, forwards, and backwards. Thus, the word’s structure directly conveys movement toward the west. Westwards remains especially common in British usage, alongside the variant westward.
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