linger etymology

Etymology

• Middle English: lingren, from Old English: langian, "to remain, stay, linger"
• Germanic root: *langaz, meaning "long"

Meaning and Origin

The word "linger" initially meant "to remain for a long time." It was first used in the early 12th century, derived from the Old English verb "langian," which meant "to prolong, lengthen, or extend." The root of "linger" is the Germanic word "*langaz," which referred to length or duration.

Over time, "linger" acquired its modern sense of "to delay, dawdle, or hesitate." This meaning developed gradually, as lingering implies taking an extended period to do something or remaining in a place or situation for an unusually long time.

Usage

Today, "linger" is commonly used in various contexts to describe:

• Delaying or taking a long time to do something: "She lingered over her breakfast, sipping her coffee slowly."
• Staying in a place or situation for a prolonged period: "The scent of flowers lingered in the air."
• Prolonging something or causing it to last longer: "The memory of their conversation lingered in her mind."
• Hanging around or waiting for something: "The children lingered at the playground, reluctant to leave."

linger relate terms

• lingering

  Etymology Middle English lingren langren from Old English lang meaning long hyr

• linger

  Etymology Middle English lingren from Old English langian to remain stay linger

• long

  Etymology The word long comes from the Proto Indo European root leng meaning to stre

• rush

  Etymology The word rush has two distinct etymological origins Germanic origin Poss

• loiter

  Etymology Middle English loitren from Old French loiter loisir leisure Latin lic

• lounge

  Etymology Middle French longe longeur meaning length Old North French lonc mean

• demur

  Etymology The word demur comes from the Old French word demurer which means to dela

• demurrage

  Etymology Latin demorari which means to delay linger detain Meaning and Origi

• dally

  Etymology The word dally originates from the Middle English word dallen which means

• reside

  Etymology The word reside comes from the Latin verb residēre which means to sit do

• tarry

  Etymology Middle English tarien from Old English tergan to hinder impede German

• lurch

  Etymology Late 18th century probably related to lurch a nautical term from the 16th c