“Long” may be a tiny word, but it’s also versatile. Two variations of the word — the adjective “long” and the verb “to long” — have divergent meanings. The adjective form refers to measurements, while the verb form is all about feelings. Despite the differences, both are ancient terms that date back to before the 12th century.
Long-Lasting Roots
In its adjective form, “long” refers to distances, durations, and large amounts. This is probably the most widely used version of the word “long.” Astronauts travel a long way to reach the moon. Students study for their final exams for a long time.
Tracing the etymological roots of the adjective form of the English word “long” shows influence across several different language traditions. The Old English word lang, meaning "having a great linear extent, that extends considerably from end to end; tall; lasting," comes from the Proto-Germanic root langa. This form likely influenced many other languages, including Old Frisian and Old Saxon lang, Old High German and German lang, Old Norse langr, Middle Dutch lanc, Dutch lang, and Gothic laggs — all meaning "long."
In Latin, longus means “extended, distant, or remote,” and this serves as the base for many other “long” words in English, including “prolong,” “elongate,” and “longitude.”
However, when “long” takes its verb form, it shifts in meaning. To long for something means to yearn for or desire it (perhaps over a long distance or a long time). It’s an intense craving for something that might not be attained. She longed for her lover’s return. The country longs for peace.
The emotional sense of the verb also goes back to Old English. The verb form comes from the Middle English “longen” and Old English langian, which literally translates as “to grow long, lengthen,” but was used as “to yearn after, grieve for.”
Longevity
While the differences between the adjective and verb forms of “long” were established in the 12th century, they have stayed consistent. We see them represented over time in literature.
In The Faerie Queene, written in 1596, Edmund Spenser tells of “Knights and Ladies’ gentle deeds;/ Whose prayses having slept in silence long.” Here, “long” refers to an extended amount of time.
Much later, Margery Williams described the rabbit’s feelings in her 1922 classic The Velveteen Rabbit, writing, “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.” Here, the word “longed” tells us more about the beloved character’s inner thoughts and conflicts.
The Long and Short of It
Long story short, “long” has different meanings and usages in parts of speech that come from the same roots. Something that’s long in distance is sustained, extended, or enduring. Similarly, a longing for someone may feel as if it’s across a metaphorical distance. While words often change and evolve over centuries, this one has had long-lasting power.
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