#163988 - 12/03/06 12:02 PM
Farther vs. Further
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enthusiast
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 293
Loc: Orlando
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I am having difficulty finding an authoritative source that can provide the distinction between these two words.
Is there a difference?
There are times when intuitively, one seems a better choice.
"The farther I reach the further away the item drifts".
But, I cannot provide a real REASON behind this instinct.
Anyone have more details?
_________________________
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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#163989 - 12/03/06 12:45 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10472
Loc: this too shall pass
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#163990 - 12/03/06 12:55 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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veteran
Registered: 05/25/02
Posts: 1529
Loc: Aladamnbama the most watered s...
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Quote:
I am having difficulty finding an authoritative source that can provide the distinction between these two words.
Is there a difference?
There are times when intuitively, one seems a better choice.
"The farther I reach the further away the item drifts".
But, I cannot provide a real REASON behind this instinct.
Anyone have more details?
The details are abstract.
Take Little Willie John for example. He sang...
Further on up the road
When I'm all alone and blue
Like you mistreated somebody
Someone's gonna mistreat you.
So you see "further", is not normanlly used as a particular for "farther" , but it is most time used as adverb to denote a distance or time in the abstract.
The reason?
A distinction was needed when referring to a hypothetical and folks like Little Willie John know best.
EDIT:Also, what tsuwm said.
Edited by themilum (12/03/06 12:59 PM)
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#163991 - 12/03/06 03:22 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 3467
Loc: Marion NC
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Also, the former word is holy, since many Christians begin their prayer:
Our farther, which art in heaven. . . ..
You NEVER hear of that for further.
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TEd
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#163997 - 12/05/06 02:40 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
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Quote:
distance vs. extent, degree
Nice basic language information Tsuwm and lo! an obvious link!
Especially with Themilum's exemplary and charming songlines.
Asked or not asked for my opinion, I simply appreciate this.
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#163998 - 12/06/06 02:01 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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veteran
Registered: 05/25/02
Posts: 1529
Loc: Aladamnbama the most watered s...
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Quote:
Nice basic language information Tsuwm and lo! an obvious link!
Especially with Themilum's exemplary and charming songlines.
Asked or not asked for my opinion, I simply appreciate this.
Curses, BranShea, it beaks my jaw to admit that TEd Remmington is right.
The creation of "further" by the polentariat was to further distinguish "farther" from "father". Today I remembered a time when I was a 10 year old barefoot boy with the heart of an angel who heard this song and thought that they wee singing "Father alone" rather than "Farther along". I thought the singer was singing so sadly because his mother had died.
Opening by Willie Nelson... http://gbgm-umc.org/music/gp/music/FartherAlong/15fartheralong.mp3
Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
Cheer up my darling, live in the sunshine
Well understand it all by and by.
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#163999 - 12/07/06 06:26 AM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
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Quote:
Curses, BranShea.
 Church songs have caused many funny misunderstandings: (I try to translate) A prayer song to God:
"Open Thy mouth,
Demand from me candidly" etc.
"Opent Uwe mond.
Eist van mij vrijmoedig" etc.
"Eist" sounds the same as "ijs", meaning ice cream.
I never knew up to I guess my 8-th what God was meaning there.
I only connected the open mouth with the ice cream.
I guess an english speaking child could interprete the line as God demanding to be offered candy.
(nice song!- ZM)
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#164000 - 12/08/06 10:26 AM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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enthusiast
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 293
Loc: Orlando
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So, is it safe to assume that this same 'history' applies to FARTHEST and FURTHEST ?
_________________________
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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#164001 - 12/08/06 08:26 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13667
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Quote:
So, is it safe to assume that this same 'history' applies to FARTHEST and FURTHEST ?
Not to mention FARTH and FURTH.
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#164002 - 12/08/06 09:00 PM
FARTH and FURTH.
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 3467
Loc: Marion NC
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Let's just leave thothe two out of thith dithcuthion.
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TEd
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#164004 - 12/23/06 02:01 PM
Give us a Bronx cheer
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/24/00
Posts: 2658
Loc: Chicago
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#164006 - 12/28/06 12:16 PM
Re: Horse Farthers
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enthusiast
Registered: 10/30/06
Posts: 293
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#169248 - 07/16/07 02:22 PM
Re: Farther vs. Further
[Re: ParkinT]
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stranger
Registered: 07/16/07
Posts: 2
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I've checked with some profs at English departments at Duke and the Univ. of N.C> and they tell me there is no difference in their uses any more. It used to be that "further" meant distance and "farther" implied a more abstract meaning of depth or degree (as in "The professor went farther into existentialism than I thought he would").
Agki
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