Farer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɛəɹə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A traveler who moves across large distances, often exploring remote places
2. an individual undertaking significant voyages, possibly by land or sea
3. A person who journeys from one place to another ; someone who embarks on long or significant trips, especially over great distances

Etymology: "Farer" is a plain agent noun: the verb "fare," meaning to journey or travel, with the suffix "-er" attached to name the one who does it. The verb itself is old, reaching back to Old English "faran," and the noun has a close ancestor in Old English "fara," which meant "traveller" or "farer" in the same sense. The most surprising connection is the one the source flags: "farer" is a doublet of "Führer." Both descend from the same Germanic root, so the German word for "leader" and the English word for "traveller" are cousins. The German word kept a sense of guiding and leading, while the English line narrowed toward journeying, which is why the two now look and sound so different. The word is attested in Middle English in the compound "wayfarer," itself built from "way" and the same "fare" root. That compound survived in English far more widely than "farer" on its own, which is why the bare form now feels rare.

Synonyms: traveler, voyager