Etymology

awkward

awk·ward
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Today it means: Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands or of tools. Full definition →

Proto-Germanic *wardaz ← Proto-Indo-European *wert- ← English awk
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ekʷ-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂époh₃kʷos
  5. Proto-Germanic*abuhaz
  6. Old Norseǫfugr
  7. Middle Englishawke
  8. Englishawk
  9. Proto-Indo-European*wert-
  10. Proto-Germanic*wardaz
  11. English todayawkward

From awk (“odd, clumsy”) + -ward. Compare Middle English aukeward (“in the wrong direction”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.