What does the cryptic crossword clue "Certainly it's not far eastern in origin (7)" mean?

The definition is "origin". The wordplay uses an anagram. anagram of EASTERN = NEAREST; definition: "Certainly it's not far" The answer is NEAREST.

Certainly it's not far eastern in origin (7)

Guardian Cryptic #22030 | 19 Down | 2000-10-16 flower