to-的词源解释,to-来源

“分离、分开”等意义的语素，源自西日耳曼语 *ti-（也是古弗里西亚语 ti-, 古高地德语 zi-, 德语 zer- 的来源），源自原始日耳曼语 *tiz-, 与拉丁语派的 dis- 同源。据牛津英语词典（OED）记载，古英语中有大约125个带有这个成分的复合动词； 它们的数量在中古英语时期迅速减少，并在约1500年消失，除了有意识的古语（如 to-shiver “破碎”； all to-brast）。

word-forming element of Anglo-Saxon origin, expressing motion, direction, addition; not properly a prefix but the preposition to merged with the following word. This was common in Middle English (to-hear "listen to," to-knit "bind up," to-cast "add together," tocome "arrive, occur, happen;" to-put "affix," to-set, to-stick, to-yield "give up," etc.), but few survive: to-do, together, and time references such as today, tonight, tomorrow — Chaucer also has to-yeere.

Also compare Middle English towhile (conj., adv.) "for as long as; in the meantime." But in toward, to is the principal element, and -ward is the suffix.