Leeward means on the side away from the wind. The leeward side, sail to leeward, a leeward shore.
It is the sheltered side, which is why you anchor there, and its opposite is windward. A lee shore is the dangerous one, because the wind is pushing you onto it. Sailors often say it as loo-ard, and the Leeward Islands are named from the same idea.
1adjectiveleewardOn the side away from the wind.
“We anchored on the leeward side of the island, where the water was calm.”
leeward is a direction.
Proto-Indo-European
*wer- — to heed, defend
Proto-Germanic
*warduz — guard, keeper
Old English
weard — keeper, watchman, guard, guardian, protector; lord, king; possessor
Middle English
warde
English
ward
English, today
leeward
From lee + -ward. ward comes from Middle English warde, from Old English weard (“keeper, watchman, guard, guardian, protector; lord, king; possessor”), from Proto-Germanic warduz (“guard, keeper”), from Proto-Indo-European wer- (“to heed, defend”). Cognate with Dutch waard, German Wart.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA