Forms: 1 and-, ond-, -lang, -long, 1–3 on-, an-long, (3 on longen), 4–5 allonge, 4–6 alonge, 4– along. Aphetic 4–7 long. [OE. and-lang, f. and- against, facing, in a direction opposite + lang long. At first an adj. (cf. eást-lang extending eastward) = ‘extending away in the opposite direction, far-stretching, extended, continuous,’ then used with gen. case as ‘the lengthened or continuous extent of,’ ‘the whole length of,’ ‘the long way of,’ or absol. ‘the long way,’ ‘lengthwise.’ To some extent mixed with the ON. cogn. end-lang, adopted in north. dial. (see ENDLONG).]
† A. adj. (only in OE.) Extending lengthwise, long-extended, livelong. Afterwards merged in all long: as andlonge niht, al-longe night, now all night long; cf. all day over, all the year through.
a. 1000. Andreas, 1276. Wæs andlangne dæʓ swungen. Guðlac, 1261 Andlonge niht.
c. 1300. Beket, 403. Al alonge day.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 595. Oure Maister ous hath i turmented so grisliche allonge niȝt.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 476. Dreȝly alle alonge day þat dorst neuer lyȝt.
B. prep. Orig. the adj. used absol. or advb. with a dependent genitive. Cf. ahead of, etc. Through gradual disappearance of the genitive ending the dependent word appears at length as a true object.
1. Through the whole or entire length of; from end to end of (whether within, as a valley, or by the side of, as a river). Afterwards strengthened All along: all through the course of.
935. Charter, in Cod. Dipl., V. 220. Upp andlang Ocerburnan tó hálelan mærscæ eástæweardan andlang brócæs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Lev. i. 15. Læte yrnan ðæt blod nyðer andlang ðæs weofudes.
1205. Layam., 19677. Þas swiken þer heo sæten on longen þere streten.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 439/4. He swete blood allonge his body.
1660. South, Serm. (1843), II. 67. Christ’s design all along the Evangelists.
1726. Thomson, Winter, 186. The whirling Tempest raves along the plain.
1808. Scott, Marm., I. v. Along the bridge Lord Marmion rode.
1827. Keble, Chr. Year, 6. Sprinkled along the waste of years.
2. This passes imperceptibly into an indication of direction rather than space traversed: Through any part of the length of, lengthwise through or parallel to, as distinguished from across; following the line of (a road, wall, river, sea-shore, etc.).
887. O. E. Chron. Her for se here up … andlang Siʓene oþ Mæterne.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XX. i. They sayled Alonge the haven.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, I. lxxviii. 4. The armed ships, coasting along the shore.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. vi. 12. The kine … went along the high way, lowing as they went.
1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 187, ¶ 9. Stealing slow and heavy laden along the coast.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages (1841), I. 367. Before … the first lances of France gleam along the defiles of the Alps.
c. 1858. R. Hoyt, Snow. ’Tis winter, yet there is no sound Along the air Of winds along their battle ground.
1879. Tennyson, Lover’s T., 80. We roam’d along the dreary coast.
3. Lying or placed parallel to the length of.
c. 1205. Lay., 138. Muche lond he him ȝef … an long þare sea.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 328. Each fountain side, With borders long the Rivers.
1697. Lond. Gaz., mmmcccxviii/3. The biggest, a Ship of 60 or 64 Guns, came along our side.
1877. Lytteil, Landmarks, III. iii. 110. Along the line of which there are still several out-standing pikes or spink-rocks.
C. adv. [The prep. with the object not expressed.]
1. In a line with the length, parallel to the longest dimension or course (of something understood); lengthwise, longitudinally. Now only with by, and as in next.
1366. Maundev., v. 45. The contree is sett along upon the ryvere of Nyle.
c. 1420. Anturs Arth., xxxvii. Thay sette listes on lenthe olong on the lawnde.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. He ought to open it alonge and ouerthwart this way and that.
1556. Chron. Grey Friars, 61. The gardyns that was made a longe by the walles of the citte.
1611. Bible, Numb. xx. 17. We will not turne into the fields … but we will goe along by the kings high way.
Mod. We found plenty of primroses along by the hedge.
2. With vbs. of motion: Onward in the course or line of motion, progressively on. Also fig. in phr. To get along: to get on, advance in any business, or in life. Get along!: ‘pass on! be off!’
c. 1300. K. Alis., 3410. Ten myle they yeode alang.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., IV. ii. 33. Speak the word along. Ibid. (1610), Temp., IV. i. 233. Let’s along [v.r. alone] And doe the murther first.
1664. Butler, Hudibr., II. iii. 389. No porter’s Burthen past along But serv’d for Burthen to his Song.
1767. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom., I. vii. 298. The shallow stream runs babbling along.
1821. Keats, Isabel, xxv. As he to the court-yard pass’d along.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xiv. 135. Get along with you, you wretch, said the handmaiden.
1850. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xvi. 153. But she’ll get along in heaven better than you or I.
Colloq. That’s enough; go along with you!
3. Along with. a. orig. with vb. of motion: Onward with, on the way with, in company with.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. i. 106. You, Capulet, shall go along with me. Ibid. (1596), Merch. V., II. viii. 2. With him is Gratiano gone along.
1615. Bedwell, trans. Moham. Imp., I. § 40. Go along with vs on our iourney.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 494, ¶ 5. The spies bringing along with them the clusters of grapes.
c. 1800. Dibdin. Then I must lug you along with me, Says the saucy Arethusa.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, x. 115. Too shrewd to go along with them upon a road.
b. Together with, in association with. (Here along attaches to with rather than to the vb.)
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 29, ¶ 11. This Inclination of the Audience to sing along with the Actors.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ. (1778), I. 86. I would rejoice along with them.
1859. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt. Part., II. App. 97. A hunger for news of killed and wounded, along with shrimps, at breakfast.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., IV. xvii. 64. Wiltshire had most likely submitted along with Hampshire and Berkshire.
c. Side by side with, in conjunction with.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. iv. 467. Along with this he was mild and equitable.
1840. Gladstone, Ch. Princ., 6. Recognising along with, though subordinately to, the Scriptures, the authorised interpretations of primitive Christian antiquity.
1868. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 1. I must ask all … to read what I shall say to-night, along with what I said on the 19th December last.
4. ellipt. (with omitted, but the force it has imparted to along retained.) In company, as a companion, with (some one).
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 123. Demetrius and Egeus go along: I must imploy you in some business.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 5 Nov. We did all along conclude upon answers.
1682. N. O., trans. Boileau’s Le Lutrin, II. 182. The Knave had wit in ’s Anger, And wisely took along his rusty Hanger.
[Amer. colloq. 1882. Howells, Lady of Aroostook, 137. ‘Our Captain’s wife … was not along,’ said Lydia. ‘Not along?’ repeated Mrs. Erwin … ‘Who were the other passengers?’]
5. All along: during the whole course of any proceeding, throughout, continuously.
1670. Baxter, Cure Ch.-div., 280. The same all along I may say about the Relicts of Martyrs.
1674. Marvell, Reh. Transp., II. 257. To have to do with such a man all along and thorow.
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), I. 76. The Bishops … have … continued all allong from the apostles.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 463, ¶ 8. I have all along declared this to be a Neutral Paper.
1861. Hook, Lives Abps., I. vi. 310. The Church … had been all along, the point of centralisation.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. vii. 123. This impost was all along felt to be a great burthen.
6. Lengthwise, in regard to a thing itself; at full length. Often strengthened with all. Obs.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, III. ix. (1483), 55. These were leyd a long vpon a table.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, civ b. He began to drawe it oute a long with his teeth.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Kings iv. 35. [Elisha] went up, and layed him selfe a longe vpon him.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 3. Vnder yond young Trees lay thee all along.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., IV. vi. 29. The usuall table gesture of the Iewes, was lying along.
1670. T. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 441. He that foots it best may be sometimes found all along, and the neatest person may sometimes slip into a slough.
1761. Smollett, Gil Blas (1802), II. VII. xvi. 330. My nurse laid me all along again.
† 7. fig. At length, in full. (? Confused with Fr. au long.) Obs.
1461. Past. Lett., 409, II. 38. I enformyd hem the mater along.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. xiii. 42. We shal declare a litil our matere a longe. Ibid. (1485), Paris & Vienne, 56. And redde it al allonge.
1506. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de Worde), IV. iv. 173. And this mater declareth ryght a longe saynt Bernarde.
1588. J. Mellis, Briefe Instr., E vij b. You shal make the marchandise or goods Debitor … with all the particular parcels, along.
† 8. At a distance, afar. (Perh. confused with Fr. au loin.) Obs.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter ix. 22. Wherto, Lord, wentist thou awei along? [Wyclif, fer awei].
1580. Tusser, Husb., xix. 25. Exceptions take of the champion land, from lieng alonge from that at thy hand.
9. Comb. (with object), as † along-board, along-side (of a ship); along-ships, lengthwise to the ship, directed fore and aft. Also ALONGSIDE, -SHORE, q.v.
1548. Hall, Chron., 534. The Regent crappeled with her along boord.
1687. Lond. Gaz., mmcclvi/4. His Men on his Bowsprit and his Sprissel-yards along Ships, all ready to Board us.
