Where does “afar” come from?
Afar comes from Middle English afer, from the Middle English prefix a- combined with Middle English fer, derived from Old French and Latin ad- meaning "to," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ád and per-.
afar (English): At, to, or from a great distance; far away
Definitions
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away
Ancestry of “afar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | afer | afar |
| 2 | Middle English | fer | Far |
| 3 | Old English | feorr | far; distant; far back; far; at a distance |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |