English
length
Length comes from Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengþ, from Proto-Germanic *langiþō ‘longness’, ultimately from PIE *dlongʰos ‘long’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dlongʰos‘long’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*langaz‘long’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*langiþō‘longness’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*langiþu‘longness’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lengþ
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lengthe
- Englishearliest quotation 1552length
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dlongʰos‘long’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*langaz‘long’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*langiþō‘longness’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*langiþu‘longness’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150lengþ
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lengthe
- Englishearliest quotation 1552length
Earliest quotation: 1552, Richard Huloet, Ladies of Destinie: “Was never man such favour could off atall ladies…”
Formed from long + -th
Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos ‘long’
Proto-Germanic *langaz ‘long’
Proto-West Germanic *lang ‘long’
Old English lang ‘long, tall, lasting’
Middle English long
English long
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos ‘long’
along, longer, longitudinal, longitude, oblong, lunge, elongate, elongation, longus, longe, 15 more
through Proto-Germanic *langaz ‘long’
Today it means
noun The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos / length