Farthest
/ˈfɑːr.ðɪst/noun
Superlative of far; at or to the greatest distance.
Did you know?“Farthest” comes from the same deep Germanic root as “far,” which originally meant movement or passage, so the word’s core idea was not just distance — it was going onward.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to go through, cross over, pass”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fēraną
“to go, travel”
Old English
OE
feorr
“far, distant”
Old English
OE
feorrþest
“farthest, most distant”
Middle English
ME
ferthest
“farthest, most distant”
Modern English
English
farthest
“most distant in space, time, or degree”