long

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Measuring a large distance from one end to the other.

   I need a long piece of wood for the shelf.

2. 2
   adj

   Continuing for a large amount of time.

   We had a long wait at the airport.

3. 3
   adv

   For a large amount of time.

   Have you been waiting long?

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Long in the sense of great length and long meaning “desire” have separate origins, although both descend from ancient Germanic words. They are therefore historically unrelated despite having the same modern form.

From Middle English long, lang, from Old English long, lang (“long, tall, lasting”), from Proto-West Germanic *lang, from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”), from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos (“long”). Cognates Cognate with Scots lang (“long”), Yola lhaung, long (“long”), North Frisian long, lung, lüng (“long”), Saterland Frisian loang (“long”), West Frisian lang (“long”), Cimbrian lång (“long”), Dutch, German, and Low German lang (“long”), Luxembourgish laang (“long”), Mòcheno lònk (“long”), Vilamovian łaong (“long”), Yiddish לאַנג (lang, “long”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk…

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