Obs. Forms: 1 lengan, 3–4 lengen, 4 lengin, ling, 4 lengh, 4–5 lenge, 4–6 lenge, lynge, 6 ling. [OE. lęngan wk. vb. = OS. *lengian (MLG., Du. lengen), OHG. lengian (MHG. lengen, mod.G. längen), ON. lengja:—OTeut. *laŋgjan, f. *laŋgo- LONG a. The normal mod. form, if the word had survived, would be ling.]
1. trans. To lengthen, prolong; to delay.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Daniel, 646. Ne lengde þa leoda aldor witeʓena wordcwyde, ac he wide bead metodes mihte.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 13. Þenne beoð þine daȝes ilenged.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 391, in O. E. Misc., 127. Ne miȝt þu þi lif lengen none wile.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12408. We sal it lengh [Gött. lenth, Fairf. lenght, Trin. lengþe] a quantite.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxix. 5. Wa til me for my wonynge is lenghid [Vulg. prolongatus est].
1340. Ayenb., 198. Hi habbeþ ylengd þet lyf of þe poure be hare elmesse.
2. intr. To linger, tarry, remain, abide, dwell; to continue in some condition. Also const. inf.
Sometimes conjugated with the verb to be.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1890. On messager þat lengs lang to bring answare. Ibid., 12127. Þat wat i wel … hu lang þi life sal last, For to be lengand in þis werld. Ibid. (c. 1340), 14138 (Trin.). In his sekenes he lenged so þat he had no fote to go.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1457. Þe grete lordes of ȝour land beþ lenged now here.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 158. Ich haue no lust … to lenge a-mong monkes.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 461. Now hare I … all to lange lengid fra hame. Ibid., 2162. If any life lenge in oure brestis.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 415 (Douce MS.). If þou be curteys kniȝte, Late lenge [Thornton MS. Lyghte, and lende] al nyȝte, And tel me þi nome.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 1014. At this tyme I will not lynge.
1522. World & Child (Roxb. Club), B j. With hym I loue to lynge.
a. 1586. in Maitland Poems (1786), 183. Mony gay gelding Befoir did in our mercat ling.
b. To lean or rely on. rare–1.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11769. Who graidly may trist Any lede on to leng, as for lele true?
Hence † Lenging vbl. sb., dwelling; † Lenging pres. pple. used as prep. = DURING.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 12329. All þat left were on lyue, lengand þat tyme.
c. 1420. Sir Amadace (Camden), lxix. Fere!… my lenging is no lengur her.
