*lang

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *lang for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”),^[2][3] which Kroonen cites by its stem *langa-, Orel as *lanʒaz and Köbler as *langa-, *langaz.^[3][4][5] In the northern West Germanic dialects the stressed short *a was nasalized before the nasal, so that Proto-Germanic *langaz gave *ląng, the source of Old English lang beside long and Old Frisian long.^[2]

Morphology

An adjective,^[6][7] with the Old High German comparative lengiro.^[6]

Evidence

EWA calls the adjective common Germanic.^[6] It is attested as Old English lang,^[8] Old Frisian long and lang,^[9] Old Saxon lang in the Heliand,^[10] and Old High German lang.^[6] EWA finds Old Dutch lank- as the first element of a place name in 773,^[6] and the Old Low Franconian psalms of the 9th century have the adverb lango.^[11] Boutkan and Siebinga note that Old West Frisian lang has the usual outcome, against the o of East Old Frisian before nasals.^[12] EWA also finds the adjective in the name of the Lombards, Latin Langobardi.^[6]

Competing analyses

Orel separates a second adjective *lanʒaz behind Old English andlang (“continuous, all along”), Old Saxon antlang (“continuous”) and Old High German gilang (“related”), which he relates to Lithuanian lenkti (“to bend”), and holds that its meanings were influenced by the adjective "long".^[13] Köbler likewise lists a separate Old English *lang (2) in gelang (“dependent, within reach, belonging”) and andlang,^[14][15] and an Old High German *lang (2) in gilang, from a Germanic *-langa- "turned towards".^[16] Holthausen treats the same Old English meaning, "dependent, within reach", as a second sense of lang.^[8] Wiktionary forms *galang "reaching, belonging" from *ga- and *lang.^[17] For Old High German antlingen and its relatives, EWA calls the etymology disputed: only the prefix *and- and the ablaut of the second part, *-ling- beside *-lang-, are certain.^[18]

Meanings

1. long^[2][1]

Old English also used the adjective for "tall, high",^[8] and Old High German for "lasting", "tall" and "long-winded".^[6]

Derivatives

• *langī "length", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[19] Köbler's *langīn lists Old English lengu, Old Frisian lendze and Old High German lengī.^[20]
• *langiþu "length", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[21] Köbler's *langiþō lists Old English lengþu and Old Frisian lengithe.^[22]
• *langi "longer", an adverb that Ringe and Taylor reconstruct from Proto-Germanic *langiz, continued by Old Saxon leng, Old English lenġ and Old Frisian leng.^[2]
• *langijan "to lengthen", which Wiktionary reconstructs;^[23] Köbler's *langjan lists Old English lengan (“to lengthen, to delay”) and Old Frisian lendza.^[24]
• *langatīn "spring", which Wiktionary reconstructs from *lang and *tīn "day";^[25] EWA traces Old English lencten and the Old High German word for "spring" to a West Germanic formation from the adjective, perhaps a blend of two derivatives.^[26]

Reflexes

• Old English: lang (“long, tall, high”)^[8]
• Old Frisian: long (“long”)^[9]
• Old Saxon: lang (“long”)^[10]
• Old Dutch: lank- (“long”), in a place name^[6]
• Old High German: lang (“long, lasting, tall, extended”)^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *lang
2. ^ a b c d Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 144
3. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 327
4. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 235
5. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langa-, *langaz
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lang, long
8. ^ a b c d Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. lang 1
9. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. long
10. ^ a b Berr, Samuel (1971), An Etymological Glossary to the Old Saxon Heliand, Berne / Frankfurt: Herbert Lang, p. 240
11. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. lango
12. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. long
13. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 236
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *lang 2
15. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. gelang
16. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *lang 2
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *galang
18. ^ 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. antlingen
19. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langī
20. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langī-, *langīn
21. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langiþu
22. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langiþō
23. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langijan
24. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *langjan
25. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *langatīn
26. ^ 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. langez, lenz