längst German · revision 35451

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=15th century|origins=gem-pro *langaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /lɛŋst/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''längst'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an adverb formed from [[lang]].^(Kluge 2011|559)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) Kluge, Pfeifer and the Duden dictionary take it to be the same word as [[längs]], from the adverbial genitive [[gmh|langes]], [[m|gmh|lenges|t=lengthwise; long ago]], with a /t/ added after /s/, as often happened in German.^(Kluge 2011|559)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) The Grimms' dictionary disagrees: it holds that the word, though it means the same as the old genitive, is a superlative, and Adelung already called it the third degree of [[lange]].^(DWB|12, 182)^(Adelung 1793)

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+ The adjective is [[m|gmh|lanc]], [[goh|lang]], from [[gem-pro|*langaz|t=long]], also found in [[got|𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃|tr=laggs]], [[non|langr]] and [[ang|lang]], whence [[en|long]].^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Pfeifer 1993) It is close to [[la|longus|t=long]].^(Kluge 2011|558) A different stem with the same meaning appears in [[sa|दीर्घ|tr=dīrghá]], [[grc|δολιχός|tr=dolikhós]] and [[lt|ilgas|alt=ìlgas]], and a common source would need a form [[ine-pro|*dlongʰ-]];^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge calls the connection disputed, while Pfeifer derives both from a root [[ine-pro|*del-|t=long]].^(Kluge 2011|558)^(Pfeifer 1993)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Kluge dates the adverb to the 15th century, in Early New High German forms such as ''lenges'' and ''lengest''; the unumlauted ''langest'' and ''langst'' also occur.^(Kluge 2011|559)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|12, 182) Luther's Bible has ''lengest'' in Mark 15:44, where Pilate asks whether Jesus has long been dead, and Maaler's dictionary renders ''langest'' with Latin ''pridem'', ''jamdudum'', “long ago, long since”.^(DWB|12, 182)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The new form took over the sense “long ago” from ''längs'', which kept “lengthwise, along”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2007) ''Unlängst'' “recently” got the same added ''t'', from Early New High German ''unlang(e)s'' (15th century).^(Pfeifer 1993) Luther's ''vor lengest'' “long ago” later fused into ''vorlängst''.^(DWB|12, 182) Besides “long since”, modern German uses ''längst'' before a negation to mean “by far”: ''längst nicht'' is “not nearly”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''lang'' “long” is recorded.^(Kluge 2011|558)

+ * 14th century – ''längs'' is used as a preposition.^(Kluge 2011|559)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 15th century – ''längst'' appears, with the added ''t''.^(Kluge 2011|559)

+ * 15th century – ''unlangs'', later ''unlängst'', is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 1793 – Adelung describes ''längst'' as the superlative of ''lange''.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|long ago|alt=Long ago]], for a long time already: ''Das habe ich längst erledigt.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # (followed by ''nicht'') By far, not nearly: ''Das reicht längst nicht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[lang]]

+ * [[lange]]

+ * [[längs]]

+ * [[unlängst]]

+ * [[Länge]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}