1) Bad way to be taken 2) By surprise 3) Exclusively Anglo word 4) Exclusively Saxon word 5) How one may be taken 6) How some are taken 7) How some folks are taken 8) Off guard 9) Off-guard 10) One way to be taken 11) One way to get taken 12) Rearward 13) Startling way to be taken 14) Sternward 15) Stunned way to be taken 
• (adv.) Toward the back or rear; backward. • (adv.) Behind; in the rear. • (adv.) Backward against the mast; -- said of the sails when pressed by the wind. • (n.) An abacus.
When the wind presses back on the sails. When the wind presses in a backward direction on the sails. 'Taken aback' nowadays means to be startled enough to make one jump back in surprise. In the days of square sail ships to be 'aback' was if the wind were to turn suddenly or if there were a problem at the helm, so that the ship was facing unexpecte...
a boat is taken aback when the wind hits what was the leeward side. It may stop and drift backwards
Ab'ack (ăb' a k) noun An abacus. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson. A·back' (ȧ*băk') adverb [ Prefix a- + back ; Anglo-Saxon on bæc at, on, or toward the back. See Back .] 1. Toward the back or rear; backward. 'Therewith aback she started.' Chaucer. 2. Behind; in the rear. Knolles. 
Aback is Massachusetts slang for at a standstill, going nowhere, failing to progress.
[adv] - having the wind against the forward side of the sails 2. [adv] - by surprise
adverb by surprise; `taken aback by the caustic remarks`
toward the back. · so that the wind presses against the forward side of the sail or sails. · surprised and disconcerted: I was taken aback by his harsh criticism.