English word origin

Etymology of ling

From Middle English lenge, of Germanic origin. Cognate with Old Norse langa. Probably related to long.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae. · A common ling (Molva molva).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English lenge, of Germanic origin. Cognate with Old Norse langa. Probably related to long.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionlengeenm
Cognate mentionlanganon

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "lenge",
        "id": "ling"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English lenge"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "langa"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse langa"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "lenge",
      "lenge#Middle_English:_ling"
    ],
    [
      "langa",
      "langa#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "long",
      "long#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae.",
        "A common ling (Molva molva)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable",
        "especially"
      ],
      "recordId": "cfc59db19298c79f132eb45862e6ee3c7b28d055fb24ea24dad63e3320822943",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8a680c0f1a56e23b2e55ba4911e2b353389092c415b4d722e732aa7b8a4aebde",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 522909
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Any of various varieties of heather or broom. · Common heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English ling, linge, from Old Norse lyng.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionlingenm
Derivation mentionlyngnon

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ling"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ling"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "lyng"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse lyng"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ling",
      "ling#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "linge",
      "linge#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "lyng",
      "lyng#Old_Norse"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various varieties of heather or broom.",
        "Common heather (Calluna vulgaris)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "d686340ec383fa5397b9807519e9746d06cbb628e67e6550edbbc4f046e91a13",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3711cd0366f4de942aa7cac5711068a0445bdbad56584703d4f96651a2fcc592",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 522910
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ling →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-bGluZw