far English · revision 1988

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725|origins=ine-pro *per-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /fɑː/, US /fɑːr/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|fer]], later [[m|enm|far]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|feorr|t=far, remote; to a great distance]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*ferrō]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) originally a comparative form.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) Its cognates are [[ofs|fēr]], [[osx|ferr]], [[nl|ver]], [[goh|ferro]] (modern [[de|fern]]), [[non|fjarri]] and [[got|𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍂𐌰|tr=faírra]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Klein 1966) It goes back to [[ine-pro|*per-|t=through, forward, beyond]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) the root also of [[grc|πέρα|tr=péra|t=beyond]], [[la|per|t=through]], [[sa|पर|tr=pára|t=beyond, farther]], [[hit|parā|t=out of]] and [[sga|íre|t=farther]].^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966)^(Hoad 1986) The change of vowel from -e- to -a- is the same as in [[dark]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To a great distance, or long ago: Old English ''feorr'' is recorded about 725.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Far and wide'' “everywhere” has paired the two words since the 9th century.^(Etymonline) The adjective, probably developed from the adverb in West Germanic,^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) meant “remote, distant”.^(Etymonline) The comparative ''farther'', Middle English ''ferther'' (about 1378), is a variant of [[further]], and ''farthest'' was formed after ''nearer'' and ''nearest''.^(Barnhart 1988) ''Far-fetched'' (before 1562) replaced earlier ''far-fet'', which meant “brought from afar” (before 1349) and “forced, strained” (about 1400).^(Barnhart 1988) The adjective also describes the most extreme political views (''the far right''),^(AHD) and of animals and vehicles the far side is the right-hand one.^(AHD) The ''Far East'', for China, Japan and their neighbours, is from 1838,^(Etymonline) and ''far-reaching'' (1824) and ''far-flung'' (1895) are 19th-century compounds.^(Barnhart 1988) An Old English verb ''feorran'' “to put far off” survived only in dialect.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – Old English ''feorr''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 9th century – ''far and wide''.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1200 – ''ferr'' (''Ormulum'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1250 – ''faraway''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1325 – ''farr'' (''Cursor Mundi'').^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1349 – ''far-fet'', brought from afar.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1378 – ''ferther'', farther.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1562 – ''far-fetched''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1824 – ''far-reaching''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1838 – ''Far East''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1895 – ''far-flung''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # To, from or at a great [[distance]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To or at a particular distance, degree or point: ''how far did you get?''^(AHD)

+ # Very much, considerably: ''far better''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # At or to a remote time: ''far in the future''.^(Collins 2023)

+ # To an advanced stage: ''went too far''.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Distant, [[remote]] in space or time.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The more distant of two: ''the far side''.^(AHD)

+ # Long, extensive: ''a far journey''.^(AHD)

+ # Holding the most extreme political views: ''the far left''.^(AHD)

+ # Of an animal or vehicle, on the right side.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[farness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[farther]]

+ * [[further]]

+ * [[fare]]

+ * [[fore]]

+ * [[per]]

+ * [[para-]]

+ * [[peri-]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}