Pronunciation: [wˈɛstwədli] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "Westwardly" follows the rule of adding "-wardly" to the end of the directional word "West." In IPA phonetic transcription, this word is transcribed as /ˈwɛst.wərd.li/. The stressed syllable is "west," which is pronounced as /wɛst/. The "ward" part is pronounced as /wərd/, and the "ly" at the end is pronounced as /li/. "Westwardly" is an adverb that describes a movement or direction towards the west.
Westwardly is an adverb that refers to the direction towards the west or the act of moving or facing towards the west. It describes movement, position, orientation, or progression in a westward direction. The term "westwardly" is commonly used to indicate the location or movement of something relative to a specific starting point, such as a point on a map, a compass, or a reference point.
When used to denote a physical movement, westwardly implies a deliberate motion or progression towards the west, often in a linear or continuous manner. For example, in the context of exploring new territories, westwardly expansion describes the act of settlers moving west in pursuit of opportunities in a previously unexplored region.
Additionally, "westwardly" can also describe the orientation or positioning of objects or features relative to their surroundings. For instance, a building on a street could be described as facing westwardly if its main facade or entrance points towards the west.
Overall, "westwardly" encapsulates the idea of movement, direction, orientation, or positioning towards the west. It is a versatile term that can be applied to various scenarios involving physical movement, geographical locations, or even symbolic representations wherein the west is important.
The word westwardly is formed by combining the adjective westward, which means in the direction towards the west, with the suffix -ly, which is commonly used to form adverbs from adjectives.
The term westward can be traced back to the Old English word westweard, which also meant towards the west. It is a combination of west, referring to the direction of the setting sun, and weard, meaning in the direction of.
Over time, westward evolved into a more modern spelling and pronunciation, while the addition of the suffix -ly transformed it into an adverb. Thus, westwardly ultimately means in a westward direction or towards the west.
