The word "thither" is spelled with six letters, starting with the voiceless dental fricative /θ/, followed by the high front vowel /ɪ/, then the voiceless alveolar plosive /t/, the voiceless glottal fricative /h/, and finally the mid central vowel /ər/. The IPA phonetic transcription for "thither" is /ˈθɪðər/. This word means "to that place" and is used to refer to a distant location or direction. It is commonly used in literature and poetry.
Thither is an adverb meaning to or towards a place that is away from or further away from the speaker or the person being referred to. It is typically used to indicate movement or direction. The word can also convey the idea of going to a particular place in a vague or general sense.
In a more specific context, thither can refer to the act of going to a place that has been previously mentioned, whether in conversation, writing, or thought. It suggests a sense of purpose or intention in one's movement or journey, indicating a specific destination or target.
Thither is most commonly used in literary works or formal writing, as it is considered archaic or old-fashioned in modern-day language. It has been gradually replaced by more common expressions such as "there" or "to that place."
The word originated from Old English and Middle English, with its roots in the Germanic language family. It is related to the word "thence," which means "from that place" or "from there."
To summarize, thither is an adverb used to indicate movement or direction to a place away from the speaker or the person being referred to. It conveys the idea of going to a specific location or destination, often in a formal or literary context.
To that place; opposed to hither; to that end or point.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "thither" comes from Middle English "thider", which can be traced back to the Old English word "þider". This Old English term was derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*þidar", which ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tei", meaning "this" or "here". Over time, the word evolved in various Germanic languages, such as Old High German "doder" and Old Norse "þaðra", before settling into its current form in English.