long

See also: Appendix:Variations of "long"

English

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long

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Long

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɒŋ/
Audio (UK); [lɒŋ]: (file)
- (Conservative RP) IPA^(key): /lɔːŋ/
(General American) enPR: lông, IPA^(key): /lɔŋ/
(cot–caught merger) enPR: läng, IPA^(key): /lɑŋ/
Audio (US); [lɑŋ]: (file)
(Black Country) enPR: lo͝oŋg, IPA^(key): /lʊŋɡ/
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Hyphenation: long
Rhymes: -ɒŋ

Etymology 1

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”).

Cognate with Scots lang (“long”), North Frisian long, lung (“long”), Saterland Frisian loang (“long”), Norwegian, West Frisian, Dutch and German lang (“long”), Swedish lång (“long”), Icelandic langur (“long”), Portuguese longo (“long”), Spanish luengo (“long”), French long, Latin longus (“long”), Russian дли́нный (dlínnyj), до́лго (dólgo), Sanskrit दीर्घ (dīrgha, “long”).

The word exceptionally retains the Old English darkening of -a- before nasals. Though there are other such examples in Middle and Modern English (e.g. bond, song, throng, wrong), the o-form may have been reinforced by Old French long, from Latin longus, from the same Indo-European word. Doublet of lungo and lunge.

Adjective

long (comparative longer, superlative longest)

Having much distance in space from one end to the other.
I need a long piece of wood.

It’s a long way from the Earth to the Moon.

How long was your newborn baby?
1. Specifically, having much distance in a horizontal dimension (see also Usage Notes below).
  This table is long but not very high.
2. Travelling a great distance.
  Smith hoofs a long ball up to Jones.
3. (informal) Having a long penis.
  My ex was very strong but not very long.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
  We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 17, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
  The face which emerged was not reassuring. […]. He was not a mongol but there was a deficiency of a sort there, and it was not made more pretty by a latter-day hair cut which involved eccentrically long elf-locks and oiled black curls.
Travelling or extending too great a distance in space.
1. (of weapons fire, landing aircraft, etc.) Passing or landing ahead of or beyond the intended target or location.
  The plane touched down long and overran the end of the runway.
  - 2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 28:10 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN)‎^[1], archived from the original on 7 November 2022:
    Juneau was making good time with the other surviving U.S. Navy ships, despite her damage, when the I-26 spotted her and sent a salvo of Type 95 torpedoes in her direction. Passing between the Helena and San Francisco, some indication being they had actually been shot at the San Francisco and gone long because San Francisco was travelling significantly slower than expected, they nonetheless hit Juneau and detonated the ship’s magazine.
2. (sports, of a ball or shot) Going beyond the intended target.
  That forehand was long. It landed two feet beyond the baseline.
  
  The pass was long and was gathered by the opposing goalkeeper.
Having great duration.
His speech was long and dull.

The pyramids of Egypt have been around for a long time.

I took a long look at the house, knowing it was for the last time.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
  I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […] , and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.
Seeming to last a lot of time, due to being boring, tedious, tiring, irksome, etc.
It took us three long weeks to clear the stones from the field.

It'll be a long journey home for the travelling supporters after that 5-0 defeat.
- [1877], Anna Sewell, “A Strike for Liberty”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 109:
  What I suffered with that rein for four long months in my lady’s carriage, it would be hard to describe, but I am quite sure that, had it lasted much longer, either my health or my temper would have given way.
(UK, dated) Not short; tall.
- 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
  The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it.
- 1940, Fred Godfrey (lyrics and music), “Bless 'Em All”‎^[2]performed by George Formby:
  Bless ’em all, bless ’em all, the long, the short and the tall.
(finance) Possessing or owning stocks, bonds, commodities, or other financial instruments with the aim of benefiting from an expected rise in their value.
Antonym: short

I’m long in DuPont.

I have a long position in DuPont.
(cricket) Of a fielding position, close to the boundary (or closer to the boundary than the equivalent short position).
(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a very large return for a small wager.
Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IIII, Canto IIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 55:
  But Campbell thus did ſhut vp all in ieſt, / Braue Knights and Ladies, certes ye doe wrong / To ſtirre vp ſtrife, when moſt vs needeth reſt, / That we may vs reſerue both freſh and ſtrong, / Againſt the Turneiment which is not long.
(African-American Vernacular, slang, of money) In great supply; abundant.
- 2011 December 18, “Ballin' Uncontrollably” (track 7), in King Mather's LP‎^[3], performed by Eminem:
  I’m talkin’ ’bout… I’m talkin’ ’bout that long money.
- 2012 November 8, “I'm Different” (track 6), in Based on a T.R.U. Story‎^[4], performed by 2 Chainz:
  Me and broke niggas, we don’t get along (Nah). Hair long (Long), money long (Yeah).
- 2013 October 7, “No Regrets” (track 7), in My Name Is My Name‎^[5], performed by Pusha T:
  Rent-a-cars we road run, money longer than train smoke.
- 2016 November 24, “Upgrade You”‎^[6]performed by Kash Doll:
  Money so long, it’s offensive.
- 2021 September 24, “Hell on Earth, Pt. 2”, in Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B‎^[7], performed by Westside Gunn:
  I got some rope in the trunk, tape and one shovel
  Long money, talkin’ billions, nigga, and I want several
(slang, MLE) Clipping of taking a long time.
Synonyms: boring, late, slow, time-consuming
- 2022 March 18, Ronan Bennett, Gerry Jackson, Tyrone Rashard, Sagirah Gammon, 00:35:44 from the start, in Brady Hood, director, Top Boy (Good Morals) (4), episode 1 (TV), spoken by unnamed boy, girl called B:
  BOY: B, this is long for man, you know.
  B: Keep complaining.
  BOY: Fucking gemming it with these things (he continues collecting empty drinks cans).
- 2023 January 15, Layton Williams, 12:51 from the start, in Freddy Syborn, director, Bad Education (Prison) (4), episode 3 (TV), spoken by Inchez (Anthony J. Abraham):
  INCHEZ: Man this is long! We’ve been in here for time!
(slang, MLE, by extension) stupid; annoying; bullshit
- 2015 September 18, “Brand New” (track 6), in Don't Panic‎^[8], performed by Smoke Boys:
  [Verse 1: Sleeks]: Keep thinking about Ps that I need but it’s long. All these things that I've done in the streets got me on my knees trying to reason with God. B-B beefin’ is long but I might still greeze up a Don.
- 2017 December 17, Guz Khan, Andy Milligan, “Upper Room” (00:38 from the start), in Ollie Parsons, director, Man Like Mobeen (1), episode 3 (TV), spoken by Mobeen Deen (Guz Khan):
  MOBEEN: I do love nature when it’s on television and David Attenborough’s presenting. I hate nature in real life! Smells like shite around here! Plants and (he waves a fly away) …plants and that. It’s so long!
- 2022 March 18, Ronan Bennett, Gerry Jackson, Tyrone Rashard, Sagirah Gammon, 00:15:46 from the start, in Brady Hood, director, Top Boy (Good Morals) (4), episode 1 (TV), spoken by Dushane (Ashley Walters):
  DUSHANE: I’m stepping back from the roads now. All of that shit is long! And by next year, I want to be completely legit, then it’s just me, you and Tish.
- 2023 February 18, Simba-xiv, “Most Guys Know That They're^[sic] Friends Aren't Shit With Women”, in Reddit (subreddit: BlackPeopleTwitter)‎^[9]:
  Nah fuck that I don't like mixing my circles like that. Plus if some shit goes bad I gotta be in the middle it's all long
(slang, MLE, by extension) serious; deadly.
Synonyms: the end, curtains
- 2022 March 18, Ronan Bennett, Gerry Jackson, Tyrone Rashard, 32:20 from the start, in William Stefan Smith, director, Top Boy (Prove Yourself) (4), episode 8 (TV), spoken by Jamie (Micheal Ward):
  JAMIE: Yo, if I see you man round here again, it is long for you!

Usage notes

Wide may be used instead of long when referring to a left-to-right horizontal dimension, or to a horizontal dimension shorter than that described as long (for example, a river that is wide and long). Deep may be used for a horizontal front-to-back dimension.
Tall or high are usually used instead of long when referring to positive vertical dimension (upwards), and deep when referring to negative vertical dimension (downwards).

Synonyms

(having much distance from one point to another): deep (vertically downwards), extended, high (vertically upwards), lengthy, tall
(having great duration): extended, lengthy, prolonged

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “having much distance from one point to another”): low (vertically upwards), shallow (vertically upwards or downwards), short
(antonym(s) of “having great duration”): brief, short

Hyponyms

Hyponyms of long (long duration)

Derived terms

Translations

See long/translations § Adjective.

Noun

long (plural longs)

(linguistics) A long vowel.
- 1877, Henry Sweet, A Handbook of Phonetics, volume 2, page 60:
  In French most vowels are half-long, and are only occasionally lengthened or shortened into full longs and shorts.
(prosody) A long syllable.
(music) A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.
(programming) A long integer variable, twice the size of an int, two or four times the size of a short, and half of a long long.
A long is typically 64 bits in a 32-bit environment.
(finance) An entity with a long position in an asset; for example, a trader or investor possessing an amount of a company's shares.
Synonym: bull

Every uptick made the longs cheer.
(finance) A long-maturity security, such as a ten- or twenty-year bond.
- 1977, Jerome B. Cohen, Edward D. Zinbarg, Arthur Zeikel, Guide to Intelligent Investing, →OCLC, page 203:
  Likewise, if borrowers prefer to sell short-maturity issues at the time lenders prefer to invest in longs, as is the case when interest rates are expected to fall, longer maturity issues will tend to yield less than shorter maturity issues.
- "U.S. Treasury Market Structure", https://www.mfaalts.org/issue/u-s-treasury-market-structure/
  Hedge funds are constrained in how much leverage they can utilize, in part because the futures contracts they are shorting against their Treasury longs have significant initial margin requirements.
(Oxbridge, dated) Clipping of long vacation (“summer vacation”).
- 1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash:
  “ […] Did I not forbid all these nicknames and all this Oxfordish, by proclamation, last Long.”
  “Last Long?”
  “Hem! last protracted vacation.”

Verb

long (third-person singular simple present longs, present participle longing, simple past and past participle longed)

(transitive, finance) To take a long position in.
- 2004, Thomas S. Y. Ho with Sang Bin Lee and Sang-bin Yi, The Oxford Guide to Financial Modeling, page 84:
  The left panel shows the profile of a portfolio consisting of longing a call and shorting a put.

Translations

finance: to take a long position

Chinese:
Mandarin: 做多 (zuòduō)

Etymology 2

From Middle English longe, lange, from Old English longe, lange, from the adjective (see above).

Adverb

long (comparative longer, superlative longest)

(chiefly sports) Over a great distance in space.
Synonyms: a long way, far

Antonym: a short distance

Every golfer wants to hit the ball long and straight.
1. Over too great a distance, beyond the target.
  She hit her return long and lost the point.
For a particular duration.
How long is it until the next bus arrives?

She has known us as long as you.

I’ve waited long enough.

He slept all day long.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 156, column 1:
  I ſtay too long ; but here my Father comes : / A double bleſſing is a double grace; / Occaſion ſmiles vpon a ſecond leaue.
- 1991, James Melvin Washington, editor, A testament of hope: the essential writings and speeches of Martin Luther King, page 636:
  I answer by saying that I have worked too long and hard now against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern.
For a long time (see usage notes).
Paris has long been considered one of the most cultured cities in the world.

By eight o’clock, the food will be long gone.
- 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./4/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
  The world was awake to the 2nd of May, but Mayfair is not the world, and even the menials of Mayfair lie long abed.
- 1925, Langston Hughes, “An Earth Song”, in Alain LeRoy Locke, editor, The New Negro: An Interpretation, New York: Albert and Charles Boni, page 142:
  It’s an earth song,—
  And I’ve been waiting long for an earth song.
  It’s a spring song,—
  And I’ve been waiting long for a spring song. […]
  I have been waiting long for this spring song.
- 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
  Plant breeding is always a numbers game. […] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, […]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.
- 2013 July 20, “Out of the gloom”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
  [Rural solar plant] schemes are of little help to industry or other heavy users of electricity. Nor is solar power yet as cheap as the grid. For all that, the rapid arrival of electric light to Indian villages is long overdue. When the national grid suffers its next huge outage, as it did in July 2012 when hundreds of millions were left in the dark, look for specks of light in the villages.
A long time (see usage notes).
Antonyms: an instant, a minute, a moment, a second, a short time, not long

Will this interview take long?

I haven’t got long to live.

They are in a hurry; they can’t wait for too long.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 17, page 512:
  My liefe (ſayd ſhe) ye know, that long ygo, / Whileſt ye in durance dwelt, ye to me gaue / A little mayde, the which ye chylded tho ; / The ſame againe if now ye liſt to haue, / The ſame is yonder Lady, whom high God did ſaue.
- 2021 August 19, “Drake”‎^[10]performed by Most Certi:
  [Verse 1]: […] Be there in five, man’s taking long. Are you still there? No fam, I’m already gone.

Usage notes

When not modified by an adverb such as too or enough, the use of long with the sense a long time is normally restricted to questions and negative statements. In other situations, the phrase a long time is used instead:

Does it take long?

— No, it doesn't take long.

(nonstandard) — Yes, it takes long.

— Yes, it takes a long time.

— Yes, it takes far too long.

This restriction does not apply when it has the sense “for a long time” (often used before adjectives or participles).

Derived terms

Translations

See long/translations § Adverb.

Etymology 3

From Middle English longen, from Old English langian (“to long for, yearn after, grieve for, be pained, lengthen, grow longer, summon, belong”), from Proto-West Germanic *langōn, from Proto-Germanic *langōną (“to desire, long for”), from Proto-Indo-European *lengʷʰ- (“to be easy, be quick, jump, move around, vary”). Cognate with German langen (“to reach, be sufficient”), Swedish langa (“to push, pass by hand”), Icelandic langa (“to want, desire”), Dutch, German verlangen (“to desire, want, long for”).

Verb

long (third-person singular simple present longs, present participle longing, simple past and past participle longed)

(intransitive) To await, aspire, desire greatly (something to occur or to be true).
Synonyms: ache, yearn

She longed for him to come back.
- 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit:
  The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad.

Usage notes

This is a catenative verb that takes the to-infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

Translations

See long/translations § Verb.

Etymology 4

From Middle English long, lang, an aphetic form of Middle English ilong, ylong, from Old English ġelong, ġelang (“along, belonging, depending, consequent”); the verb later reinterpreted as an aphetic form of belong.

Adjective

long (not comparable)

(archaic) On account of, because of.
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, Essays, II.8, page 224:
  I am of opinion, that in regarde of theſe debauches and lewde actions, fathers may, in ſome ſort, be blamed, and that it is onely long of them.

Verb

long (third-person singular simple present longs, present participle longing, simple past and past participle longed)

(archaic) To be appropriate to, to pertain or belong to.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
  A goodly Armour, and full rich aray, / Which long’d to Angela, the Saxon Queene, / All fretted round with gold, and goodly wel beseene.
- c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
  Tis well, and hold your owne in any case / With such austeritie as longeth to a father.

Etymology 5

Shortening of longitude.

Noun

long (plural longs)

Abbreviation of longitude.
Coordinate term: lat

Etymology 6

From Middle English longen, from Old English langian (“to belong, pertain”), from Old English *lang, which is of uncertain origin yet related to Old English ġelang (“dependent, attainable, present, belonging, consequent”), Old Saxon gilang (“ready, available”).

Verb

long (third-person singular simple present longs, present participle longing, simple past and past participle longed)

(obsolete) To belong.
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene v:
  Now ſend Ambaſſage to thy neighbor Kinges,
  And let them know the Perſian King is chang’d:
  From one that knew not what a King ſhould doe,
  To one that can commaund what longs there to: […]

Anagrams

OGNL, NLOG

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch long, from Middle Dutch longe, also longen, longene, from Old Dutch *lungan, *lunganna, from Proto-Germanic *lunganjō.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔŋ/
Audio: (file)

Noun

long (plural longe, diminutive longetjie)

lung

Chinese Pidgin English

Etymology

From English along. Equivalent to Cantonese 同 (tung⁴) grammatically.

Preposition

long

comitative case marker
benefactive case marker
ablative case marker

References

Umberto Ansaldo, Stephen Matthews, Geoff Smith (2010) “China Coast Pidgin: Texts and contexts”, in Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages‎^[11], volume 25, number 1, →DOI, pages 63-94

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch longe, also longen, longene, from Old Dutch *lungan, *lunganna, from Proto-Germanic *lunganjō.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔŋ/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: long
Rhymes: -ɔŋ

Noun

long f or m (plural longen, diminutive longetje n)

lung

Usage notes

Traditionally feminine in the Netherlands, masculine in Belgium due to masculinisation.

Derived terms

Descendants

Afrikaans: long
Negerhollands: longe
→ Papiamentu: long (dated)
→ Sranan Tongo: lon
- → Caribbean Javanese: long

References

“long” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

Franco-Provençal

Etymology

Inherited from Latin longus.

Adjective

long (feminine longe, masculine plural longs, feminine plural longes) (ORB large)

long
Antonym: côrt

Derived terms

longior

References

long in DicoFranPro: Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – on dicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
long in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French long, from longe, longue, feminine of lonc, lunc, from Latin longus. Cognate with English long, origin of German Chaiselongue.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔ̃/, (in liaison) /lɔ̃.k‿/, (younger also) /lɔ̃.ɡ‿/
Audio (Paris): (file)
Rhymes: -ɔ̃
Homophone: longs

Adjective

long (feminine longue, masculine plural longs, feminine plural longues)

long
Synonyms: épais, grand, haut, large, profond

Antonyms: bas, court, étroit, mince

Derived terms

Noun

long m (plural longs)

length
Le nez de Pinocchio mesure le matin 5 cm de long.
Pinocchio's nose measures 5 cm long in the morning.

J’aime marcher le long du fleuve.
I like walking along the river.

Derived terms

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French long (“long”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔ̃ɡ/, [lɔ̃ŋ]

Adjective

long

long

Hlai

Etymology

From Proto-Hlai *C-luŋ (“big”), from Pre-Hlai *C-luŋ (Norquest, 2015). Compare Proto-Tai *ʰluəŋᴬ (“big”) (whence Thai หลวง (lǔuang)).

Pronunciation

(Standard Hlai, Baoding) IPA^(key): /loŋ˥˧/

Adjective

long

big

Synonyms

dhuax

Indonesian

Etymology

From Betawi [Term?], from Hokkien 烺 (lóng, lōng, “bright”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈlɔŋ]
Hyphenation: long

Noun

long (first-person possessive longku, second-person possessive longmu, third-person possessive longnya)

large firecracker.
Hypernym: petasan

Alternative forms

lung

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish long, from Latin (navis) longa (“long (ship)”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /l̪ˠɔŋ/
(Munster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠuːŋ(ɡ)/^[1], [l̪ˠũːŋ(ɡ)]; /l̪ˠɔŋɡ/^[2]
(Ulster) IPA^(key): /l̪ˠʌŋ/^[3]

Noun

long f (genitive singular loinge, nominative plural longa)

ship

Declension

Declension of long

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	long	longa
Vocative	a long	a longa
Genitive	loinge	long
Dative	long loing (archaic, dialectal)	longa

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an long	na longa
Genitive	na loinge	na long
Dative	leis an long leis an loing (archaic, dialectal) don long don loing (archaic, dialectal)	leis na longa

Derived terms

bratlong (“flagship”)

Related terms

loingeas

References

^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 41, page 22
^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 47, page 25
^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 110, page 43

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

From English long.

Adverb

long

For a lengthy duration (see usage notes).
- 2019 October 21, “Bruk It”‎^[12]performed by Spice (musician) and Jugglerz:
  [Verse 2]: Him seh 'im love di way mi bubble how mi tan pon hi' long. Mek me talk Chinese like me live Hong Kong.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

Unlike in standard English, in Jamaican creole the adverb long, when it means for a lengthy duration, is used freely in questions and statements, whether positive or negative.

Malay

Etymology

Compare Khmer លោង (loong), Cham [louŋ], Thai โลง (loong).

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Noun

long (Jawi spelling لوڠ, plural long-long, informal 1st possessive longku, 2nd possessive longmu, 3rd possessive longnya)

coffin; casket
Synonyms: larung, keranda

Mandarin

Romanization

long

Nonstandard spelling of lōng.
Nonstandard spelling of lóng.
Nonstandard spelling of lǒng.
Nonstandard spelling of lòng.

Usage notes

Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Alternative forms

longe, longue, lang, lange, langhe

Etymology

From Old English lang, from Proto-West Germanic *lang.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔnɡ/, /lɔːnɡ/

Adjective

long

long

Descendants

English: long
Geordie English: lang
Scots: lang
Yola: lhaung, long

References

“lō̆ng, adj.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Mizo

Etymology

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *looŋ, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-lawŋ.

Noun

long

boat

References

Grammar and Dictionary of the Lushai Language by J.H. Lorrain, Shillong 1898

Naga Pidgin

long

Etymology

Inherited from Assamese লং (loṅ), from Sanskrit लवङ्ग (lavaṅga).

Noun

long (plural longkhan)

clove

Norman

Alternative forms

laong (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French long, a back-formation from longe, longue, the feminine form of Early Old French lonc, from Latin longus.

Adjective

long m

(Jersey) long
- 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[13], page 533:
  Six s'maïnes avant Noué, et six s'maïnes après, les nits sont les pûs longues, et le jours les pûs freds.
  Six weeks before Christmas and six weeks after, the nights are the longest and the days the coldest.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin longus.

Adjective

long m (feminine singular longa, masculine plural longs, feminine plural longas)

long

Related terms

alongar

Old English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lonɡ/, [loŋɡ]

Adjective

long

Alternative form of lang

Declension

Declension of long — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	long	long	long
Accusative	longne	longe	long
Genitive	longes	longre	longes
Dative	longum	longre	longum
Instrumental	longe	longre	longe
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	longe	longa, longe	long
Accusative	longe	longa, longe	long
Genitive	longra	longra	longra
Dative	longum	longum	longum
Instrumental	longum	longum	longum

Declension of long — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	longa	longe	longe
Accusative	longan	longan	longe
Genitive	longan	longan	longan
Dative	longan	longan	longan
Instrumental	longan	longan	longan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	longan	longan	longan
Accusative	longan	longan	longan
Genitive	longra, longena	longra, longena	longra, longena
Dative	longum	longum	longum
Instrumental	longum	longum	longum

Old French

Alternative forms

lonc, lunc (Anglo-Norman)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin longus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈlunk/

Adjective

long m (oblique and nominative feminine singular longe or longue)

long (length, duration)

Declension

Declension of long

Number	Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Subject	longs	longe or longue	long
Singular	Oblique	long	longe or longue		longe or longue	long
Plural	Subject	long	longes or longues		long
Plural	Oblique	longs	longes or longues		longes or longues	long

Descendants

French: long
Norman: long (Jersey), laong (Guernsey)

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *lang, from Proto-Germanic *langaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos. Cognates include Old English lang, Old Saxon lang and Old Dutch *lang.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈloŋɡ/

Adjective

long

long

Descendants

North Frisian: long, lung
Saterland Frisian: loang
West Frisian: lang

References

Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Old Irish

Etymology

Generally assumed to be a Latin loan, from (navis) longa, but Joseph Loth believed it to be from Proto-Celtic; either way, cognate to Welsh llong.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /l͈oŋɡ/

Noun

long f (genitive lungae, nominative plural longa)

boat
ship

Inflection

Feminine ā-stem
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	long^L	loing^L, luing	longa^H
Vocative	long^L	loing^L, luing	longa^H
Accusative	loing^N, luing	loing^L, luing	longa^H
Genitive	lungae^H	long^L	long^N
Dative	loing^L, luing	longaib	longaib
Initial mutations of a following adjective: ^H = triggers aspiration ^L = triggers lenition ^N = triggers nasalization

Synonyms

Descendants

Irish: long
Manx: lhong
Scottish Gaelic: long

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
long also llong after a proclitic ending in a vowel	long pronounced with /l(ʲ)-/	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Pijin

This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. This language is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Preposition

long

to; toward; into
in; at; near
- 1988, Geoffrey Miles White, Bikfala faet: olketa Solomon Aelanda rimembarem Wol Wo Tu‎^[14], page 75:
  Bihaen hemi finisim skul blong hem, hemi go minista long sios long ples blong hem long 'Areo.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish long. Compare Welsh llong.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /l̪ˠɔuŋk/
(Lewis) IPA^(key): [l̪ˠãũŋk]

Noun

long f (genitive singular luinge, plural longan)

ship

Derived terms

Tok Pisin

FWOTD – 12 March 2013

Etymology

From English along.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /loŋ/, [lɔŋ], [lɔ(ː)]

Preposition

long

Used to mark spatial direct objects that something is oriented in the manner of, where English would use to, toward, into, or onto
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:15:
  Ol dispela lait i mas kamap long skai bilong givim lait long graun.”
  →New International Version translation
  - These lights must rise in the sky to cast light toward the ground.
Used to mark spatial direct objects that something is oriented in the location of, where English would use in, at, on, or near
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:15:
  Ol dispela lait i mas kamap long skai bilong givim lait long graun.”
  →New International Version translation
  - These lights must rise in the sky to cast light toward the ground.
Used to mark indirect objects, or direct objects of intransitive verbs, where English would use to
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:22:
  Na God i mekim gutpela tok bilong givim strong long ol. Em i tokim ol olsem, “Yupela ol kain kain samting bilong solwara, yupela i mas kamap planti na pulapim olgeta hap bilong solwara. Na yupela ol pisin, yupela i mas kamap planti long graun.”
  →New International Version translation
  - And God made a good speech to give strength to them. He said to them: "You varied things of the ocean, you must multiply and fill every part of the sea. And you birds, you must multiply on earth.
Used to mark spatial direct objects that something is oriented in the manner opposite of, extracted from, or away from, where English would use from or out of
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 2:22:
  Orait God i wokim wanpela meri long dispela bun em i bin kisim long man, na bihain em i bringim meri i go long man.
  →New International Version translation
  - Then God made a woman out of that bone he had taken from the man, and later he brought the woman to go to the man.
Used to mark temporal direct objects in which a condition lasts for a certain duration of time, where English would use for
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:14:
  Na God, Bikpela i tokim snek olsem, “Yu bin mekim dispela pasin nogut, olsem na nau mi gat strongpela tok bilong daunim yu. Bai yu gat bikpela hevi. Hevi yu karim bai i winim hevi bilong olgeta arapela animal. Nau na long olgeta taim bihain bai yu wokabaut long bel bilong yu tasol. Na bai yu kaikai das bilong graun.
  →New International Version translation
  - And the Lord God said to the snake: "You did a bad deed, and so I have a powerful curse for you. You will have a great weight. The wight you carry will exceed that of any all animals. Now, and for all times, you will only walk on your stomach. And you will eat the dirt of the earth.
Used to mark a verb whose subject is the direct object of another verb, where English would use to or from
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:17:
  Na God i tokim Adam olsem, “Yu bin harim tok bilong meri bilong yu, na yu bin kaikai pikinini bilong dispela diwai mi bin tambuim yu long kaikai. Olsem na nau bai mi bagarapim graun, na ol kaikai bai i no inap kamap gut long en. Oltaim bai yu wok hat tru bilong mekim kaikai i kamap long graun.
  →New International Version translation
  - And God said to Adam: "You listened to what your woman said, and you ate a fruit of this tree which I have forbidden you from eating. And so I will now corrupt the earth, and food will not grow well enough. You will work very hard forever to make food grow in the ground.

Derived terms

long wanem

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [lawŋ͡m˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [lawŋ͡m˧˧] ~ [lɔŋ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [lawŋ͡m˧˧]
Audio (Hà Nội): (file)

Etymology 1

Compare lung as in lung lay.

Adjective

long

loose
răng long ― loose tooth

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 龍 (“dragon”).

Noun

long

(only in compounds) dragon

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɔŋ/

Noun

long

Soft mutation of llong.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
llong	long	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Yola

Adjective

long

Alternative form of lhaung
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 11-12:
  w'oul daie an ercha daie, our meines an oure gurles, praie var long an happie zins,
  we will daily and every day, our wives and our children, implore long and happy days,

References

Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 116

[1] Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 41, page 22

[2] Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 47, page 25

[3] Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 110, page 43

[1]

[2]

[3]

long

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Usage notes

Synonyms

Antonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Noun

Verb

Translations

Etymology 2

Adverb

Usage notes

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Etymology 3

Verb

Usage notes

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 4

Adjective

Verb

Etymology 5

Noun

Etymology 6

Verb

Further reading

Anagrams

Afrikaans

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Chinese Pidgin English

Etymology

Preposition

References

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Usage notes

Derived terms

Descendants

References

Franco-Provençal

Etymology

Adjective

Derived terms

References

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Noun

Derived terms

Further reading

Haitian Creole

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Hlai

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Synonyms

Indonesian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Alternative forms

Further reading

Irish