longer

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English longer, longere, normalisation of Middle English lenger, lengere (longer), from Old English lengra (longer), from Proto-Germanic *langizô (longer), comparative of Proto-Germanic *langaz (long), equivalent to long +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian laanger (longer), West Frisian langer (longer), Dutch langer (longer), German länger (longer), Danish længere (longer), Swedish längre (longer), Icelandic lengri (longer).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈlɒŋ.ɡə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈlɔŋ.ɡɚ/
  • (cotcaught merger) IPA(key): /ˈlɑŋ.ɡɚ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • (Ireland (rural)) IPA(key): [ˈlɑŋ.əɾ]
    • Rhymes: -ɒŋɡə(ɹ)

Adjective

longer

  1. comparative form of long: more long

Adverb

longer

  1. comparative form of long: more long
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From long (yearn) +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

Noun

longer (plural longers)

  1. One who longs or yearns for something.
    • 1887, Albert H[arris] Tolman, The Style of Anglo-Saxon Poetry[1], page 15:
      The slayer also lay,
      The terrible earth-drake deprived of life,
      Oppressed by bale: the ring-hoard longer
      The twisted worm, might not control.

Further reading

French

Etymology

From long +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

Verb

longer

  1. to walk along, run along

Conjugation

This is a regular -er verb, but the stem is written longe- before endings that begin with -a- or -o- (to indicate that the -g- is a "soft" /ʒ/ and not a "hard" /ɡ/). This spelling change occurs in all verbs in -ger, such as neiger and manger.

See also

Further reading

Anagrams