Etymology: < live v.¹ + long adv.¹ Compare live forever n., and see discussion at that entry for the semantic motivation of the name.The α. forms are unexplained.

Etymology: Originally < lief adj. + long adj.¹ (as reflected by β. forms). Compare Middle Dutch (rare) den lieven langhen nacht , lit. ‘the dear long night’, German den lieben langen Tag (1582 or earlier), die liebe lange Nacht (1670 or earlier; 1609 or earlier as ein liebe lange nacht ), das liebe lange Jahr (17th cent. or earlier), lit. ‘the dear long day’, ‘the dear long night’, ‘the dear long year’. The α. forms show alteration of the first element after live v.¹ (forms of which with stem vowel -e- probably facilitated the reanalysis). Compare all the long day , all the long night (see long adj.¹ and n.¹ Phrases 3b). Compare later live adj.² Sense 2 may well show an independent formation, < live v.¹ + long adj.¹, perhaps partly suggested by earlier currency in sense 1. In sense 3 perhaps another independent word, if so probably a variant of lifelong adj. with voiced consonant, perhaps by association with livelong adj. in either sense 1 or sense 2. N.E.D. (1903) notes at sense 3 ‘Probably meant to be pronounced (ləiv) /laɪv/’, but there is no clear evidence for this.