Awkward literally means "facing backward" — an Old Norse word for wrong direction that evolved into English's favorite term for social clumsiness.
Causing or feeling embarrassment or inconvenience. Also describes a lack of grace or skill in movement or social interaction.
From Middle English awkeward, from awke (turned the wrong way, backhanded) from Old Norse ǫfugr (turned backward) + -ward (direction suffix) Key roots: ǫfugr (Old Norse: "turned backward, reversed"), *apu-ko- (Proto-Germanic: "turned away").