The word "livelong" is spelled with two separate words in modern English, "live" and "long". The IPA phonetic transcription for "livelong" is /ˈlɪv.lɔŋ/. The first syllable "live" is pronounced as /lɪv/, and the second syllable "long" is pronounced as /lɔŋ/. This word is often used to express a wish or prayer for a long, prosperous, and joyful life. Its origin can be traced back to Middle English, and it has been in use for over 600 years.
Livelong is an adjective that is used to describe the entirety or whole of a particular duration of time, particularly a long span or the duration of a day. The term is commonly used in the phrase "livelong day," which is often used to emphasize the entire length or duration of the day.
The word "livelong" originated from the phrase "liven long" in Middle English, which means "to continue living for a long time." The term "livelong" is typically used in colloquial or informal language rather than formal writing.
Furthermore, "livelong" is usually associated with qualities of endurance, persistence, or endlessness. It implies a sense of unceasing, constant, or uninterrupted existence, emphasizing a continuous or complete state of being.
In contemporary usage, "livelong" is often used in an exaggerated or emphatic manner, emphasizing the entirety of something rather than its literal duration. For example, someone might say, "I worked the livelong day," to convey that they worked the entire day, from morning until night, without any substantial breaks or interruptions.
Overall, "livelong" serves as a descriptive term used to indicate the entirety or uninterrupted duration of a long period, typically used in informal or colloquial language.
That lives or endures long; tedious.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "livelong" is derived from the Middle English phrase "livelonge", which can be traced back to the combination of two words: "lif" meaning "life" and "longe" meaning "long". Therefore, the original meaning of "livelong" was "the length of a lifetime" or "lasting for the entirety of a person's life". Over time, the pronunciation and spelling evolved to become "livelong", and it is currently used to describe something that lasts throughout the day or a substantial portion of it.