What is the difference?

[tsdragon]

I could probably look this up, but I don't feel like going and getting my dictionary, and it wouldn't be as interesting. What's the difference between "further" (or is it "furthur"?) and "farther"? Or are both of them even real words?


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[craigsboyd]

farther is quantifying distance and further is quantifying the degree of something...

I am glad to see him further his education.

The distance from the car to the top of the mountain was farther than I thought it would be.

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[tsdragon]

That should be easy to remember: farther refers to distance.

Either you're another nightowl, or you're in a distant time zone from me (EST).


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[sfi]

I assume you mean Australian EST.

 

[tsdragon]

To be honest, I didn't know that Australia had an EST. I always thought that designation was unique. I mean US-EST (it is now 1:19AM (I have no life)).


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[Thadeus]

While I agree with craigsboyd (it's the way I always use), it is interesting to note that merriam-webster's online dictionary defines the two terms as roughly equivalent.

usage Farther and further have been used more or less interchangeably throughout most of their history, but currently they are showing signs of diverging. As adverbs they continue to be used interchangeably whenever spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance is involved. But where there is no notion of distance, further is used <our techniques can be further refined>. Further is also used as a sentence modifier <further, the workshop participants were scarcely optimistic -- L. B. Mayhew>, but farther is not. A polarizing process appears to be taking place in their adjective use. Farther is taking over the meaning of distance <the farther shore> and further the meaning of addition <needed no further invitation>.

~Thadeus

 

[AnotherHiggins]

tsdragon, this was actually covered (albeit briefly) in thread1256-939098

I use farther for distances, further when no physical distance is involved - Including time: '...further into the future...'.

There isn't a hardset rule on the subject, but that seems to be the common usage.

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[craigsboyd]

tsdragon,

I'm a Night Owl, with a penchant for binge sleeping on whatever day I finally crash-n-burn on each week. Central Standard Time here... Minnesota, US to be exact.

http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com