forming adverbs, most of which survive only dial. The Teut. root *liŋg-, laŋg-, luŋg-, to extend, reach, appears in its three ablaut-forms as the terminal element in certain OE. advs. expressive of direction or extent, as in bæcling BACKLING; andlang (see ALONG, ENDLONG); nihtlanges for a night; grundlunga (also grundlinga) to the ground. In certain instances the suffixes -linga, -lunga, were already in OE. substituted for -inga, -unga, advb. terminations originating in some case (? ablative) of sbs. in -ing, -ung (see -ING1); so in néadlunga, níedlinga, whence, with adverbial (genitival) es, the ME. nedlingis NEEDLINGS, of necessity. The original OE. use (in which the suffix is added to sbs. to form advs. of direction) is continued in the later formations grufelyng (GROVELLING), headling(s, sideling(s; more numerous, however, are the words in which the suffix forms advs. of condition or situation from adjs., as blindling(s, darkling(s, firstlings, flatling(s, hidlings, mostlings.
