“long” in Latin

Of space, longus (general term): procerus (tall, εὐμήκης): promissus (hanging down far): prolixus (☞ rare in the best prose, not simply = promissus, but longe lateque diffusus, so that in Col., 1, 9, 3, arator prolixior is not only a tall, but also a broad-shouldered, stout ploughman): very long, perlongus; longissimus; procerissimus: somewhat long, longulus: immoderately long, praelongus (☞ the silver period, enormis): a long garment, vestis longa (general term); vestis alaris (hanging down to the ankles): vestis prolixa, vestis longe lateque diffusa (long and full; Gell., 7, 12): long hair, capillus longus (general term); capillus promissus, caesaries promissa (that hangs down far over the neck): capillus prolixus (long and thick, Ter., Heaut., 2, 3, 49, and Verg., Ecl., 8, 34): a long tail, cauda procera (long and thin); cauda prolixa (long and thick or bushy): ☞ long, with a definite specification of a measure of length, is expressed by longus with an accusative (rarely in the best age with an ablative) of the measure, or by in longitudinem with a genitive of the measure (but only when it is said that a thing is to be made, etc., so long; therefore, in dependence on a verb); e.g., six feet long, longus pedes sex: to cut off a bridge six feel long, pontem in longitudinem sex pedum rescindere. For some specifications of length the Latin has also particular adjectives; as, one foot long, pedalis; (but also, and more accurately) pedem longus (☞ pedaneus is late): half a foot long, semipedalis: a foot and a half long, sesquipedalis, but also sesquipedem longus: two feet long, bipedalis, but also duos pedes longus: an ell long, cubitalis: half an ell long, semicubitalis.

Of time; longus (usually of the duration of time itself; e.g., tempus, hora, nox, etc., more rarely of the duration of anything): longinquus (of the duration of time, and especially of the duration of anything; e.g., consuetudo, obsidio, etc.): diuturnus, diutinus (of the duration of anything; but the former denotes duration either indifferently or with commendation, as pax diuturna, whereas the latter implies that a thing is irksome or tedious. Thus bellum diuturnum, a war of long duration, especially as compared with others; bellum diutinum, a protracted and tedious war; so also morbus diutinus, a tedious complaint). The longest day, dies solstitialis; solstitium the longest night, *nox brumalis; bruma: the days are longer than with us, dierum spatia ultra nostri orbis mensuram (Tac., Agr., 12, 3): a long syllable, syllaba longa: to make asyllable long, syllabam producere: to pronounce a syllable long, producte dicere syllabam: the first syllable in insanusis long, “insanus” productā primā literā dicimus (dicitur): the first syllable in sapiens is long, in sapiente prima littera producte dicitur: the time is too long for me, mora lenta me offendit or urit (the delay is tedious, after Ov., Her., 3, 138); *otium moleste fero (leisure is oppressive to me): a long time before, after, anything, multum ante, post, aliquid (e.g., ante, post mortem alicujus): a long time since or ago [Vid. LONG, adverb.] : after a long interval, longo intervallo. With specifications of a definite measure of time, the Latin employs either a simple accusative or (to denote that a thing lasts uninterruptedly) per with an accusative (Greek, διὰ, with a genetive); e.g., three years long, tres annos; per tres annos.

Not brief or contracted, latus (opposed to contractus; of persons or things): longus (opposed to brevis; of persons or things): copiosus (with many words): verbosus (with many needless words: ☞ not prolixus): a long speech, oratio longa, lata, copiosa, or verbosa: a long work, opus diffusum: a long letter, epistola longior, or verbosa.

A long time, diu; longum tempus: very long, perdiu: long before, multo (☞ not multum) ante (rarely): longo ante: long after, multo post; longo tempore post: not long after, non ita multo post (rarely): non ita longe post; non ita longo intervallo (☞ only in later writers); also, non magno post tempore: long before, after anything, multum ante, multum post aliquid (e.g., mortem alicujus): longer, longius (☞ not quite so rare as is usually supposed; Vid: Herzog and Held., Caes., B.G., 4, 1); diutius; ultra (further on; Vid: Herzog, Hirt., B.G., 8, 39): longer than; e.g., than a year, anno longius (more rarely longius anno); plus anno; amplius anno; or amplius annum: it is longer than six months ago, amplius sunt sex menses; or sex menses sunt et amplius (☞ not diutius est quam sex menses): it would be too long, longum est (☞ not longum esset); e.g., exspectare, dum veniat, or eum exspectare: those to whom it may seem too long, quibus longius tempus videtur: it is long since, jam diu est cum or quod (rarely ut).

A great while since, etc., diu (opposed to paullisper); pridem (opposed to nuper); dudum (opposed to modo) (☞ dudum can be used only when a short time appears long to the speaker; by modern writers it is often used wrongly for diu and pridem): already long, jam diu, jam pridem, jam dudum (with the difference above mentioned): it is long since I saw him, jam diu est, cum eum non vidi.