lang German · revision 34881

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *langaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /laŋ(k)/, [laŋ]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Northern: [laŋk]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''lang''' (strong nominative masculine singular langer, comparative länger, superlative am längsten)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|lanc]], [[inh|goh|lang]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*lang]], [[inh|gem-pro|*langaz|t=long]].^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃|tr=laggs]], [[non|langr]], [[ang|lang]], [[ofs|long]] and [[osx|lang]], and today [[nl|lang]], [[en|long]], [[sv|lång]] and [[is|langur]].^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Kroonen 2013)^(Pfeifer 1993) Its first record is the tribal name [[la|Langobardī|t=long beards]] in Tacitus.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The closest match outside Germanic is [[la|longus|t=long]].^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Orel 2003)^(DWB|12, 153) Most other Indo-European languages have a related word with an initial /d/ and no nasal: [[sa|दीर्घ|tr=dīrghá]], [[ae|darəga-]], [[grc|δολιχός|tr=dolikhós]], [[ru|долгий|tr=dólgij]] and, with the /d/ lost, [[lt|ilgas|alt=ìlgas]], [[lv|ilgs]] and [[m|got|𐍄𐌿𐌻𐌲𐌿𐍃|tr=tulgus|t=firm, steadfast]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Orel 2003) Pfeifer and Kroonen take the Germanic and Latin words as a nasalised form of this root, [[ine-pro|*del-|t=long]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) Pfeifer adds [[pal|drang|t=long]], which Kluge sees as a possible link between the groups.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kluge 2011|558) Kroonen sets up [[ine-pro|*dlonh₁gʰ-o-]], implying a nasal present that is not attested.^(Kroonen 2013) Kluge accepts that a form [[ine-pro|*dlongʰ-]] would join both groups, but calls the connection problematic and disputed, since the loss of the /d/ is unexplained.^(Kluge 2011|558) The Grimms' dictionary considered only Latin as certainly related and did not even rule out an early borrowing from it, as with [[kurz]].^(DWB|12, 153)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''lang'' is first recorded in glosses before the end of the 8th century, among them the ''Abrogans'', and then in Tatian, Otfrid and Notker.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|5, 1009) It meant “long” in space and time, “long-lasting”, “tall” and “detailed, long-winded”.^(EWA|5, 1009)^(Schützeichel 2012|192)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word applies to the dimension in which a body is longest, unlike [[breit]] and [[dick]], and was transferred from space to time.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) An old distinction separates the adverb, Old High German ''lango'' and today [[lange]], from the adjective; the adverb is now used only of time.^(Duden 7 2014)^(DWB|12, 153) The genitive ''langes'', ''lenges'' “lengthwise; long ago” became an adverb, giving [[längs]], used as a preposition since the 14th century, and, with a secondary ''-t'', [[längst]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014)

+

+ The adjective has many figurative phrases: ''lange Finger machen'' “to steal” (Schiller already speaks of the “army of long fingers”), ''ein langes Gesicht machen'' “to look disappointed”, ''etwas auf die lange Bank schieben'' “to put something off”.^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The pair ''lang und breit'' is recorded from Maaler (1561); today ''des Langen und Breiten'' means “at great length”.^(Paul 2002) ''Über kurz oder lang'' “sooner or later” goes back to Middle High German.^(Paul 2002) English took the skiing word ''langlauf'' in 1927.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''lang'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)^(Kluge 2011|558)

+ * 9th century – The noun ''lengī'' “length” and the verb ''langēn'' “to long for” are recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 14th century – ''längs'' is used as a preposition.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1561 – Maaler records the pair ''lang und breit''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1579 – Fischart writes ''ein Langes und Breites''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 1927 – English borrows ''langlauf'' “cross-country skiing”.^(LWP)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|long]]: of great extent in one direction: ''ein langer Flur'', ''lange Haare''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Having a stated length, placed after the measure: ''ein drei Meter langes Brett''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Of a person: [[m|en|tall]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Of a text or speech: [[m|en|lengthy]], long-winded: ''ein langer Bericht''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # Lasting a long time: ''eine lange Reise'', ''nach langem Warten''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with a noun of time)'' Lasting the stated time, for: ''zwei Wochen lang''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(colloquial)'' For a long time; short for [[lange]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[lange]]

+ * [[längst]]

+ * [[längs]]

+ * [[Länge]]

+ * [[länglich]]

+ * [[langen]]

+ * [[erlangen]]

+ * [[verlangen]]

+ * [[langsam]]

+ * [[Langeweile]]

+ * [[langweilig]]

+ * [[langwierig]]

+ * [[langmütig]]

+ * [[Langfinger]]

+ * [[jahrelang]]

+ * [[verlängern]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[entlang]]

+ * [[Lenz]]

+ * [[en|long]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Kluge gives a second ''lang'', an adverb: the Low German form of [[entlang]] “along”, which has entered the colloquial standard language in phrases such as ''da lang'' “that way” and ''wo’s lang geht'' “which way it goes” (20th century).^(Kluge 2011|558) In southern German and Swiss ''lange Zeit'', as in [[Langeweile]], ''lang'' expresses how long time feels.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}