Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “longer” come from?

Longer comes from English long, which derives from Old English lang, itself from Proto-Indo-European dl̥h₁gʰós meaning extended in space or time.

longer (English): comparative form of long: more long; One who...

Definitions

  1. comparative form of long: more long; One who...

Ancestry of “longer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlongHaving much distance from one terminating point...
2EnglishlongitudeAngular distance measured west or east of the...
3Old Frenchlongitude—
4Latinlongitūdō—
5Latinlongusfar, long; extended, prolonged; long; tedious,...
6Latin-ē—
7Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
8Latincalceusshoe
9Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
10Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →