'shoreward' originates from the combination of 'shore' and the suffix '-ward', where 'shore' refers to the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or other large body of water, and '-ward' indicates direction.

'shoreward' has remained relatively unchanged in its form and meaning since its inception in the English language.

Initially, it meant 'towards the shore', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.