'windward-facing' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'windward' and the present participle 'facing'. 'windward' comes from Old English elements 'wind' and the directional suffix '-weard' meaning 'toward', and 'facing' derives from the verb 'face' (from Old French/Latin roots).

'windward' developed from Old English 'windweard' (literally 'toward the wind') → Middle English 'windward' → modern English 'windward'. 'face' came via Old French (e.g. 'facier') from Latin 'facies' (appearance), giving Middle English 'face' and the present participle 'facing'; these combined in modern English as the compound 'windward-facing'.

Initially, 'windward' meant simply 'toward the wind' and 'facing' meant 'turned toward' or 'having a face toward' something; combined, the compound came to mean 'oriented toward the wind' in contexts such as ships, buildings, or geographic features.