noun
Refers to the farthest point, limit, or end of something, often used in expressions like 果てしなく (endlessly) or 果てしのない (endless). The glosses 'result' and 'fate' are less common standalone meanings and are usually implied in poetic or literary contexts.
宇宙の果てしはどこにあるのだろう。
I wonder where the end of the universe is.
彼の欲望には果てしがない。
His desires know no bounds.
果て (hate) is a more common noun meaning 'the end' or 'the extremity', while 果てし (hateshi) is a slightly more literary or emphatic form often used in set phrases.
限り (kagiri) means 'limit' or 'as long as', and is more about a boundary or condition, whereas 果てし emphasizes the ultimate end or extremity.
Derived from the verb 果てる (hateru, 'to end') + し (shi), an old nominalizing suffix. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is related to the concept of reaching an end or limit.