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allonger

Etymology and origin of the French word allonger

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1160, Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Roman de Troie (alonger)
Ultimate origin
Latin (longus)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /a.lɔ̃.ʒe/[1]

Forms

allonger[1] Old French alonger (about 1160), alongier (1239).[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from long with the prefix a- and a verbal ending.[2][4][3][5][6] Wiktionary mentions as possible Vulgar Latin *allongāre, listed by Meyer-Lübke, beside Late Latin ēlongō (“to lengthen”).[1][7] The adjective is from Latin longus (“long”).[8]

Compare Old Occitan alongar, Italian allungare and Romanian alunga (“to drive away”).[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Roman de Troie (about 1160) has alonger “to make longer”.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

A Douai document of 1239 uses alongier for extending a time limit, and the verb was soon used of time as well as space.[2][4] Ronsard (second half of the 16th century) has s'allonger “to stretch out at full length”, now also “to lie down”, Olivier de Serres (late 16th century) has allonger wine with water, whence allonger la sauce “to pad out what one says”.[2][5]

From “to stretch (a limb)” came allonger une botte in fencing (1717) and allonger un coup “to land a blow” (1680, Richelet, Stendhal, 1836).[4][9] Slang uses it for handing over money (les allonger), and s'allonger for confessing.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1160 – Alonger, Benoît de Sainte-Maure.[2]
  • 1239 – Of a time limit.[2]
  • Second half of the 16th century – S'allonger, Ronsard.[2]
  • Late 16th century – To dilute wine, Olivier de Serres.[2]
  • 1680 – Allonger un coup.[9]
  • 1717 – Allonger une botte, in fencing.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To lengthen, make longer: allonger une jupe; to make look longer.[5][1]
  2. To extend, stretch out (a limb): allonger le bras, les jambes, allonger le pas, to quicken one's step.[5][1]
  3. To lay (someone) down: allonger un blessé.[1]
  4. To dilute: allonger une sauce, un café, allonger la sauce, to pad out a story.[5][1]
  5. (familiar) To land (a blow); to hand over (money).[4][9]
  6. (intransitive) Of days, to grow longer.[1]
  7. S'allonger: to stretch out, lie down; to grow longer.[1][2]

Word family

  • allongement
  • allonge
  • allongé
  • rallonger
  • rallonge
  • long
  • longueur
  • prolonger

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 5, 408a
  7. ^ a b Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  9. ^ a b c Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
Cite this entry

“Allonger.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/allonger. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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