Table of Contents
What type of word is further?
comparative adverbs
Farther and further are comparative adverbs or adjectives. They are the irregular comparative forms of far. We use them to talk about distance.
What is the base word of distance?
Distance is an amount of space between things. The Latin root is distantia, “a standing apart.”
Where did the word further come from?
Old English furðor, forðor “to a more advanced position, forward, onward, beyond, more distant; farther away; later, afterward; to a greater degree or extent, in addition; moreover,” etymologically representing either “forth-er” or “fore-ther.” The former would be from furðum (see forth) + comparative suffix *-eron-.
What is the adverb of further?
Further can be used in the following ways: as an adverb: She walked further up the hill. after the verb ‘to be’: From our house to the city centre is only six miles, but it’s further if you follow the river. as an adjective (only before a noun): Further details are available from the office.
How do you use the word further?
When used as an adverb, “further” expresses a relationship to a place or time, something additional or to a greater degree.
- I have much further to go before I can stop for the night.
- We need to research further into this matter.
- He was further annoyed by a second interruption.
Is further a real word?
Further is the older of the two, with farther originating from it as a variant in Middle English. For much of their history the words have been used interchangeably. As adverbs, they still are interchangeable when applied to distance (whether spatial, temporal, or metaphorical).
What is the space between two things?
A gap is the space between two things.
Which is correct farther or further?
People use both further and farther to mean “more distant.” However, American English speakers favor farther for physical distances and further for figurative distances.
Can you use further as a verb?
Further can be used as a verb meaning to advance something, such as an agenda or cause, as in This will help to further our cause.
Can you say further away?
When should you use farther or further?
The most common quick answer is usually something along the lines of “farther is for physical distance and further is for figurative distance.” As is often the case, however, simple rules run into the buzzsaw of actual usage.