LotR - Prologue

[davem]

Originally Posted by Mugwump

Using further in that sense must've been merely standard idiomatic British English of Tolkien's day,]

It still is - both meself & Lal say 'further' (she's Lancastrian & I'm from Yorkshire, so I reckon its in common usage across the north of England). Mind you, here in 'God's Own County', we still commonly say 'thee', 'thine' & 'thou' (though we pronounce it 'tha')!