*langaz

Reconstruction

The adjective is *langaz in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *lanʒaz in Orel,^[3] and the stem *langa- in Kroonen and Köbler.^[4][5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos (“long”).^[2] Kroonen writes *dlonh₁gʰ-o-, identical to Latin longus, a nasalised variant of the PIE root *dlh₁gʰ- "long", which he also finds in *tulgu-; it presupposes a nasal present *dlénh₁gʰ-e- that is not attested.^[4]

Morphology

Ringe reconstructs the comparative *langizō and the superlative *langistaz, and notes that the accent of such comparatives and superlatives fell on the root before Germanic.^[1] Gothic inflects it as an a-stem.^[6]

Evidence

The adjective is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs), Old Norse langr, Old English lang, Old Frisian long, Old Saxon lang and Old High German lang.^[4] Gothic uses it only of time.^[7] Wiktionary lists Proto-Finnic *lanka among its descendants,^[2] but LÄGLOS takes Finnish lanka (“thread, wire”) from an n-stem *langan-, comparing Icelandic langi (“large intestine”).^[8]

Competing analyses

Orel also identifies the word with Latin, and relates it further to adjectives with irregular sound correspondences: the Sanskrit word, Avestan darəga-, Ancient Greek δολιχός (dolikhós) and Hittite dalugai-.^[3] De Vries adds Gaulish and Old Church Slavonic forms and Lithuanian ilgas.^[9] Orel separates a second *lanʒaz "along, continuous", which he relates to Lithuanian lenkti (“to bend”), and thinks its meanings were influenced by "long".^[3]

Meanings

1. long^[4][3][1][2]

Old English also used the word for "great, tall",^[10] and Old High German for "long-lasting, detailed".^[11]

Derivatives

• *langiþō "length"^[12][13] and *langį̄ "length".^[14][15]
• *langijaną "to lengthen".^[16][17]
• Compounds: *dagalangaz "lasting a day"^[18][19] and *langabardaz "Lombard", with *bardaz "beard";^[20] in Orel, *lanʒa-līƀ(j)az "long-lived" and *lanʒa-mōđīn "patience", probably a calque of Ancient Greek μακροθυμία (makrothumía).^[21]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs, “long, of time”)^[7]
• Old Norse: langr (“long”)^[9]
• Old English: lang (“long, great, tall”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: long (“long”)^[22]
• Old Saxon: lang (“long”)^[23]
• Old High German: lang (“long, long-lasting”)^[24]

References

1. ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 316
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langaz
3. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *lanʒaz
4. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 327
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langa-
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. laggs
7. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. laggs
8. ^ Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 166
9. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. langr
10. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lang
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lang
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langiþō
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langiþō
14. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langį̄
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langī-
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langijaną
17. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langjan
18. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *dagalangaz
19. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *đaʒa-lanʒaz
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langabardaz
21. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 235
22. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. long
23. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lang
24. ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. lang