Where does “longing” come from?
Longing comes from Middle English langynge, from Old English langung, the -ung suffix added to Old English lang, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ-, meaning to be long or protracted.
longing (English): present participle of long; An earnest and deep,...
Definitions
- present participle of long; An earnest and deep,...
Ancestry of “longing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | longynge | — |
| 2 | Old English | langiende | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | langōndz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | langōną | To desire; long for |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |
Words derived from “longing”