Etymograph

English

farness

Farness comes from Old English feornes ‘farness, distance’, from feorr ‘far’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to cross, pass’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to cross, pass’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-nóyreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ferrai‘far’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ferrreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150feorras feor‘far’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150feornes‘farness, distance’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fernesse
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1918farness

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to cross, pass’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-nóyreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ferrai‘far’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ferrreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150feorras feor‘far’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150feornes‘farness, distance’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fernesse
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1918farness

Earliest quotation: 1918, William James, The Principles of Psychology: “If I look from a mountain, the things seen…”

Formed from far + -ness

Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to cross, pass’

Proto-Indo-European *per-nóy

Proto-Germanic *ferrai

Old English feor

Middle English ferre

English far

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to cross, pass’

first, before, support, per, report, further, price, private, practice, opportunity, pre, prior, prime, appreciate, port, fear, primary, press, prize, afford, pregnant, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, interpretation, privilege, ferry, pirate, parade, par, porch, primitive, prix, pardon, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, prism, 156 more

through Proto-Germanic *ferrai ‘far’

far

through Old English feorr ‘far’

afar

Today it means

noun The state of being far off, or the degree to which something is far; distance, span; remoteness

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / farness

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