thither

Thither is an archaic or literary English adverb and preposition meaning "to that place" or "toward there." It serves as the counterpart to hither, which means "to here" or "toward this place." In modern English, thither survives mainly in poetry, religious or historical texts, and certain stylistic uses intended to evoke an antique or formal tone. It is frequently encountered in phrases such as go thither or come hither, and in fixed expressions like hither and thither, which describe movement to various places or directions.

Etymology and form originate in Old English, from þider, meaning "to there." The form is related to other West Germanic words that express motion toward a distant place, and it has a long-standing place in Early Modern English literature, including classical and religious writings.

Usage and tone. Today, thither is largely confined to poetic, ceremonial, or archaic registers. It appears in historical narratives, religious translations, and literary works that aim to evoke earlier periods of English. In contemporary prose, writers may employ thither for flavor or rhetorical effect, but it is uncommon in everyday speech. The expression hither and thither remains a common idiom, conveying wandering or dispersed movement, while thither alone tends to emphasize motion toward a distant or specified location.

Pronunciation typically follows standard English phonology for its time: roughly THITH-er, with the initial sound as in think and the final -er as in linger. The term is rarely used in modern technical or formal writing outside of historical or stylistic contexts.