'roundwise' is a Modern English formation combining 'round' + the suffix '-wise' (meaning 'in the manner of').

'round' comes from Old English and Old Norse elements meaning 'round' or 'edge', while '-wise' derives from Old English 'wīs' meaning 'manner'; compounds using '-wise' (e.g. 'clockwise') influenced the formation of 'roundwise' in modern usage.

Initially formed simply to indicate 'in the manner of round' or 'around', the term has retained that core sense though it has always been relatively rare and sometimes used to mean 'by rounds' in specific contexts.