long

long
long
The conjunction as (or so) long as has two main meanings: (1) ‘during the whole time that’ (You can stay as long as you like), and (2) ‘provided that, only if’ (You can stay as long as you help me). In some contexts the two meanings overlap in a way that can produce ambiguity. So long as tends to have the second meaning (That's okay, so long as we understand each other) but it occurs in the first, especially in AmE (He would cooperate only so long as it served his purpose). In the second meaning, it is more likely to be preceded by a comma (You can stay, as long as you help me), and the shortened form long as is occasionally found in informal reported conversation:

• ‘It's all right,’ he said, ‘long as you are here’ —Graham Greene, 1938.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • Long — Long, a. [Compar. {Longer}; superl. {Longest}.] [AS. long, lang; akin to OS, OFries., D., & G. lang, Icel. langr, Sw. l[*a]ng, Dan. lang, Goth. laggs, L. longus. [root]125. Cf. {Length}, {Ling} a fish, {Linger}, {Lunge}, {Purloin}.] 1. Drawn out… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Long — Long, adv. [AS. lance.] 1. To a great extent in space; as, a long drawn out line. [1913 Webster] 2. To a great extent in time; during a long time. [1913 Webster] They that tarry long at the wine. Prov. xxiii. 30. [1913 Webster] When the trumpet… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Long — Long, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Longed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Longing}.] [AS. langian to increase, to lengthen, to stretch out the mind after, to long, to crave, to belong to, fr. lang long. See {Long}, a.] 1. To feel a strong or morbid desire or craving; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Long — Long, n. 1. (Mus.) A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve. [1913 Webster] 2. (Phonetics) A long sound, syllable, or vowel. [1913 Webster] 3. The longest dimension; the greatest extent; in the phrase,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Long — Long, prep. [Abbreviated fr. along. See 3d {Along}.] By means of; by the fault of; because of. [Obs.] See {Along of}, under 3d {Along}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Long Yu — (zh s|; pinyin: Yú Lóng; b. 1964) is currently the Music Director of the China Philharmonic and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra.Yu was born into a family of musicians in Shanghai and received his early childhood music education from his… …   Wikipedia

  • LONG — ONGUE. adj. Il se dit Des objets considérés dans leur étendue, d un bout, d une extrémité à l autre, et par opposition à Court. Un bâton long de tant de pieds. La harpe a des cordes plus longues les unes que les autres. Tirer une longue ligne sur …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • long — I. adjective (longer; longest) Etymology: Middle English long, lang, from Old English; akin to Old High German lang long, Latin longus Date: before 12th century 1. a. extending for a considerable distance b. having greater length than usual < a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Long — In general English usage, long is the adjectival form of length. It may also refer to:In geography: * Long, People s Republic of China * Long Island, New York, United States * Long Lake, various lakesIn other fields: * Lóng, the Chinese dragon *… …   Wikipedia

  • Long s — The correct title of this article is ſ. It appears incorrectly here because of technical restrictions. An italicized long s used in the word Congress in the United States Bill of Rights. The long, medial or descending s (ſ) is a form of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Long Mu — In Chinese mythology, Long Mu (simplified Chinese: 龙母; traditional Chinese: 龍母; pinyin: lóng mǔ; Wade–Giles: lung mo) or Mother of Dragons was a Chinese woman who was deified as a goddess after raising five infant dragons. Long Mu and her dragons …   Wikipedia

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