BLAST FROM THE PAST: Farther vs. Further

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Here's another edition of fandom_grammar's Blast from the Past, this time focusing on "Farther" vs. "Further".

With examples from Harry Potter.


It's tough when we encounter words that are similar in meaning and spelling, yet are meant to be used in entirely different content. Further and farther are great examples of this. They look the same, with similar meanings, yet so many people use them in a way that causes others to cringe.

What is the difference between the two, and why does it matter? momebie discussed the topic in this article, and I'm going to give a few more examples to help describe the differences.

The farther we go…

Farther relates primarily to physical distance.

The farther they walked, the more disheartened Hermione became in thinking they would actually find a solution to getting rid of Umbridge.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Ron asked his friend.

Metaphorically speaking, further is farther than farther

Despite the confusion my subtitle conjures up, further isn't all that bad. According to Dictionary.com, further means "in addition to, or more." Sometimes referred to as "furthermore"—or worse "and furthermore" (which is redundant, IMHO)—further is just another way to add on to a subject.

Pansy was adamant. This relationship would go no further until Draco came around to her way of thinking.

Further inspection of the Chamber of Secrets brought about another revelation. They were not alone.

There are times though when it's okay to use either term when writing about physical distance. Sometimes further really does mean farther.

Harry ran into the woods, going further than he had ever gone before.

Both words could be used in this example. Further works better because it goes beyond the "distance" Harry had gone prior to that, but farther would work just as well.

Grammar Girl offers up a great way to remember which word to use in any given situation:

The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It's easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously relates to physical distance.

Adding on to this, always use the word further when speaking in terms of anything in addition to the subject. As a friend used to say in reference to our accomplishments:

"The farther we go, the further we get."

Comments

[caeseria.livejournal.com]

Awesome tips, thank you! This is one I have problems with, so the last example really helped out!

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

You're welcome and I'm glad it helped!!

[akasha-lilian.livejournal.com]

Oh you rock. I've always had questions about why it's further or farther when we were discussing irregular comparative and superlative. Now I know, thanks for that! =)

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Yay! You're very welcome and wow! It sounds like you have some great conversations going on too! :)

[lmichelle599.livejournal.com]

Grammar Girl is smart. That's how I remember it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

OMGosh I LOVE your icon!! Hee! Too cute!

[orion117.livejournal.com]

Thanks for revisiting some of the older posts! It’s always a helpful reminder.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

We think so too! :) Glad you are enjoying these posts!

[unfeathered]

Interesting! Not something I'd ever thought about. :-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I know! Especially when it's so easy to just go with one of the words all the time and be done with it. :) Thanks!