longe

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈɫɔŋ.ɡeː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈlɔn̠ʲ.d͡ʒe]^[1]

Forms

longē (comparative longius, superlative longissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is the adverb of longus “long”, with the ending -ē.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨longus⟩ to Proto-Italic *(d)longo-, from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰ-o-, and compares Hittite ⟨talugai-⟩ “long” and Sanskrit दीर्घ (dīrghá-, “long”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is the Twelve Tables, about 450 BC.^[4] The OLD's first citations are from Plautus.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant a long way, far, and at a distance, far off, as in Plautus; in time, for a long while, far into the past or future, long before or after; with verbs of speaking, at length, as in Cicero; and of kinship, at a far remove, as in Seneca.^[2] Longē esse was to be of no avail, longē absum ab to be far removed from, and longē ā nōbīs in Petronius “God forbid!”.^[2] With comparisons it meant by far, greatly, as in Plautus, and in Apuleius apparently exceedingly.^[2] Cicero and Caesar have longē lātēque “far and wide”.^[5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant afar, far off.^[6] It is continued in Proto-Romance, with French loin, Italian lungi and Catalan lluny.^[7][1] Old French porloigner “to put far off”, from it, gave English purloin in the mid-14th century.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 450 BC – the Twelve Tables use it.^[4]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of distance and degree.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero has longē lātēque.^[5][4]
• mid-14th century – English purloin is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Adverb

1. A long way, far; at a distance, far off.^[2]
2. For a long time; long before or after.^[2]
3. At length, in a lengthy style.^[2]
4. By far, greatly.^[2]
5. longē esse To be of no avail, longē absum ab to be far from.^[2]

Related words

• longaevitās
• longaevus
• longanimis
• longanimitās
• longanimiter
• longiloquium
• longinquē
• longinquitās
• longinquō
• longinquus
• longus
• English purloin

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ Buchi, Éva; Schweickard, Wolfgang, eds. (2008–), Dictionnaire Étymologique Roman (DÉRom), Nancy: ATILF, http://www.atilf.fr/DERom
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com