Etymology

lifelong

L1I1F4E1L1O1N1G2

Today it means: Extending for the entire duration of life. Full definition →

English long ← Middle English long ← Old English lang
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*leyp-
  2. Proto-Germanic*lībaną
  3. Proto-Germanic*lībą
  4. Proto-West Germanic*līb
  5. Old Englishlīf
  6. Middle Englishlyf
  7. Englishlife
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dlongʰos
  9. Proto-Germanic*langaz
  10. Proto-West Germanic*lang
  11. Old Englishlang
  12. Middle Englishlong
  13. Englishlong
  14. English todaylifelong

From life + -long.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.