English
livelong
Livelong comes from Middle English live long.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500live long
- Englishearliest quotation 1630livelong
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500live long
- Englishearliest quotation 1630livelong
Earliest quotation: 1630, John Milton: “Thou, in our wonder and astonishment, Thou hast built…”
Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‘to desire, love’
…
Proto-Germanic *leubaz ‘dear, beloved’
Proto-West Germanic *leub ‘dear, beloved’
Old English lēof ‘dear, beloved’
Middle English lef ‘beloved, dear’
English lief
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
Every English word from Middle English live long
Today it means
adj Total, complete, whole.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English live long / livelong