On the advice of a good friend in the Tolkien world (thanks, Sharon Hoff!), and in contradiction of Richard Blackwelder’s guideline, I am moving forward with an adverb. Or is it an adjective, noun, or even verb?

[01.010] ‘All of them at once,’ said Bilbo. ‘And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain.

Well, then. I have been schooled. “Further” and “farther” belong to a different word, a verb meaning to move something along … until “farther” was adopted by “far” as a comparative and “further” sort of came along with it, but only hesitantly. Here’s the whole family.

• 1.008 that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.
• 1.020 In fact I will go so far as
• 1.070 far over The Water
• 1.070 and very far from his hobbit-hole under The Hill.
• 1.073 Far over the misty mountains cold
• 1.077 Far over the misty mountains cold
• 1.082 Far over the misty mountains grim
• 1.114 So far we have had no clear idea what to do.
• 1.114 as far as the Long Lake.
• 1.116 far too often,
• 1.119 but so far still Tookishly determined to go on with things.
• 1.119 and so on and further.’
• 1.122 our family was driven out of the far North,
• 1.122 It had been discovered by my far ancestor,
• 1.122 up the Running River as far as the valley
• 1.123 in a great heap far inside,
• 1.123 than the far edge of the Long Lake now-a-days.
• 1.136 far beyond the powers
• 1.144 Far over the misty mountains cold
• 2.028 Now they had gone on far into the Lone-lands,
• 2.028 Not far ahead were dreary hills,
• 2.032 So far he had come all the way with them,
• 2.040 through the tree-trunks not far ahead.
• 2.117 not far from the track by the river,
• 2.123 I had not gone very far,
• 2.125 in the woods not far from the road:
• 3.001 not far away on either side.
• 3.001 The far bank was steep
• 3.011 They saw a valley far below.
• 3.012 not far above the banks of the stream.
• 3.026 when sun has been all day on the snow far up above.
• 4.002 laid out behind them far below.
• 4.002 Far, far away
• 4.002 Far, far away
• 4.005 where they smashed among the trees far below,
• 4.007 and was far from happy about the giants himself.
• 4.009 “not far round the next corner;
• 4.011 and it does not go far back.”
• 4.012 you don’t know how far they go back, sometimes,
• 4.012 Still it was not very far to go,
• 4.020 Pound, pound, far underground!
• 4.021 Round and round far underground
• 4.024 and dragged them to the far end of the cavern
• 4.025 so far.
• 4.029 nothing was further from our thoughts
• 4.043 far behind
• 5.002 and he was far from certain
• 5.002 He did not go much further,
• 5.005 and yet not far enough.’
• 5.012 and they found they could go no further;
• 5.084 Not far away was his island,
• 5.090 not very far off by the sound of it.
• 5.098 As far as Bilbo knew,
• 5.114 and it can’t go far.
• 5.118 Not far now.
• 5.122 for he was leaving the water further
• 5.122 and further behind,
• 5.13 He dared go no further.
• 6.008 He has been more trouble than use so far,’
• 6.032 so they might be said to have had the best of it so far.
• 6.034 we are too far to the North,
• 6.041 and the pine-roots far below.
• 6.043 were feeling far from happy,
• 6.045 though far away through the trees
• 6.046 Must we go any further?’ asked Bilbo,
• 6.047 A bit further,’ said Gandalf.
• 6.048 After what seemed ages further
• 6.049 then by another not far away to the left.
• 6.057 and hung his arm down as far as ever he could.
• 6.061 Goblins do not usually venture very far from their mountains,
• 6.062 In spite of the dangers of this far land
• 6.067 a tiny spot far far below.
• 6.067 a tiny spot far far below.
• 6.067 and yelping come up faint from far beneath him.
• 6.082 or drove them far away;
• 6.082 who were scrambling up now as far as they ever dared to go.
• 6.084 Now far below the goblins
• 6.084 were scattering far
• 6.094 and Bilbo far away
• 6.096 and as far as you will!
• 7.002 and the world was far away,
• 7.009 and far off
• 7.011 Indeed we are now a good deal further east
• 7.012 who lives not far away.
• 7.023 As a bear he ranges far
• 7.093 while at the far end
• 7.093 with his great legs stuck far out
• 7.094 that lay outstretched far to North
• 7.096 and the voices seemed to grow far away,
• 7.117 there were far too many of them,
• 7.117 I followed these as far as the Carrock.
• 7.117 By that time it was too late for me to follow them far.
• 7.126 and on a little of which they could march far.
• 7.128 that the adventure was far more dangerous
• 7.130 been far to the south of the Lonely Mountain,
• 7.136 Beorn is not as far off as you seem to think,
• 7.136 or sitting far off
• 7.136 in letting dwarves ride them so far
• 8.001 Soon the light at the gate was like a little bright hole far behind,
• 8.002 in the leaves far above,
• 8.009 There is a boat against the far bank!
• 8.010 How far away do you think it is?’ asked Thorin,
• 8.011 Not at all far.
• 8.018 Not far enough!’
• 8.027 back to the far bank?’ asked the hobbit.
• 8.029 In this way they were all soon on the far bank
• 8.029 As it reached the further bank it stumbled.
• 8.032 and the sound as of dogs baying far off.
• 8.042 He could hear the dwarves shouting up at him from far below,
• 8.044 they were not far off the edge of the forest;
• 8.044 and he could not expect to see how far the forest lasted.
• 8.051 we have carried you far enough.’
• 8.052 to go a step further
• 8.062 not far away were scores of twinkling lights,
• 8.064 it was far worse this time.
• 8.070 begun not far away –
• 8.073 But the cries of the others got steadily further
• 8.073 in the far distance,
• 8.078 who were not likely to be very far off,
• 8.094 further and further
• 8.094 further and further
• 8.098 They made for his noise far quicker than he had expected.
• 8.100 I am far more sweet than other meat,
• 8.103 as far as he dared.
• 8.132 wound far underground
• 9.003 and at the far end were gates before the mouth of a huge cave
• 9.018 and joined the Forest River some way further to the east,
• 9.018 were brought from far away,
• 9.019 built out on bridges far into the water
• 9.020 to a place far down the river where the bank jutted out,
• 9.030 far down
• 9.030 and fortunately not far from the cellars.
• 9.032 as far as he could;
• 9.063 and far from a fire,
• 10.002 And far away,
• 10.002 Bilbo had come far
• 10.004 if he had known that news of this had reached Gandalf far away
• 10.006 and far,
• 10.007 Not far from the mouth of the Forest River
• 10.009 not far from the shoreward head of the great bridge.
• 10.018 Other folk were far away;
• 10.032 As a matter of fact he thought it far more likely
• 10.041 and as far northward towards the Mountain
• 10.045 although autumn was now getting far on,
• 11.008 much further towards the Gate;
• 11.012 in the perilous waste without hope of further help.
• 11.012 but as far as ever,
• 11.014 nor from further off
• 11.019 but they did not dare to venture very far that way,
• 11.021 and far.
• 11.029 there was a gleam of yellow upon its far roof,
• 12.002 and resource far exceeding his size,
• 12.002 far exceeding the usual allowance –
• 12.007 It was far easier going than he expected.
• 12.019 from far down
• 12.020 from far above that came down through it
• 12.027 in the stony hollows far above;
• 12.031 They crept further down the tunnel,
• 12.067 you could not get it very far?
• 12.067 and he knew his guesses were not far out,
• 12.068 So far all his thoughts
• 12.071 while far up
• 12.079 he had not gone nearly far enough
• 12.094 not far down from the half-open door
• 12.098 for any whisper of a movement from far below.
• 12.099 I like this silence far less than the uproar of last night.
• 12.101 They fled further down the tunnel
• 12.103 In the meanwhile he had further vengeance to take.
• 13.009 and far off
• 13.022 But soon they saw it far away
• 13.023 until he came to the great doors at the further side,
• 13.044 and far beyond the reach of their torch-light.
• 13.044 coming through some opening far above,
• 13.045 Not far off now is the Front Gate.’
• 13.046 at the further end,
• 13.054 How far is that?’
• 13.069 We can go no further to-day.’
• 13.071 and there was a small chamber further in,
• 14.002 at the far end of the lake,
• 14.032 and people further off took up the cry:
• 14.040 Far over Mirkwood tidings spread:
• 15.002 and far off there are many carrion birds
• 15.019 has already gone far
• 15.020 and now are scattered far.
• 15.027 far down the banks
• 15.027 not far from where the rest of their stores had been left.
• 15.048 Further
• 15.048 and in recompense you have thus far brought ruin only,
• 16.014 not far away.’
• 16.017 He had barely scrambled out on the far bank,
• 16.021 How did you get so far past our sentinels?’
• 17.061 That did not seem far off.
• 18.007 not far from where Bilbo sat.
• 18.051 and men came from far
• 18.053 There far away was the Lonely Mountain
• 19.003 The stars are far brighter
• 19.003 The moon is far whiter
• 19.025 Not far from the road

“far, adv.” OED Online, Oxford University Press, June 2020, http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/68132. Accessed 25 August 2020.