faraway
UK[ˌfɑːr.əˈweɪ]US[ˌfɑːr.əˈweɪ]
adj
Describing a place that is a very long distance away.
adj
Describing a look in someone's eyes that suggests they are thinking about something else and not aware of what is happening around them.
Morpheme Breakdown
far
away
far
away
Etymology
The word 'faraway' is a transparent compound formed from two native English adverbs, 'far' and 'away'. Both elements trace back to common Germanic roots, with 'far' deriving from Proto-Germanic ferro and 'away' from a construction meaning 'on one's way'. The compound itself emerged in Middle English, logically combining the concepts of great distance ('far') and separation or motion from a point ('away'). This literal sense of a distant location evolved naturally to also describe an abstracted, psychological distance, as seen in the metaphorical 'faraway look', where one's attention is mentally remote from the immediate surroundings.
Analysis
Structure: far + away
- far (Old English: feorr): An adjective/adverb meaning 'to a great distance'.
- away (Old English: onweg, aweg): An adverb meaning 'from this or that place; to or at a distance'.
Examples
She dreamed of traveling to faraway lands.
He had a faraway expression as he listened to the music.
The story is set in a faraway kingdom from long ago.