# Lang

/ˈɫæŋ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lang
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. abbreviation for language

noun · CEFR B1 · Technical

a short form of the word 'language', often used in computer settings or lists.

For teachers: a standard abbreviation for 'language', frequently employed in ISO codes, computing metadata, and linguistic documentation.

- The website settings had a folder named 'lang' where all the different translations were kept.
- The developer adjusted the 'lang' attribute in the HTML header to ensure screen readers used the correct pronunciation for the regional dialect.

Usage: Often used as a label in code or as a file extension.

Teaching tip: Students will mostly see this in digital contexts or on forms rather than in spoken English.

### 2. long

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Dialect

an old or regional way of saying 'long'.

For teachers: a dialectal or archaic variant of 'long', surviving primarily in Scots and Northern English dialects.

- The old song mentioned the 'lang road' home across the hills.
- The poet utilised 'lang' to evoke a specific Northern atmosphere, grounding the verse in the linguistic traditions of the border regions.

Usage: Primarily found in Scots or Northern English poetry and traditional songs.

Teaching tip: This is a non-standard form; learners should recognise it in literature but avoid using it in modern standard prose.

## Examples

- The old song mentions the days of lang syne.
- The poet wrote of the lang road home, using the traditional dialect of his ancestors to evoke a sense of history.
- While largely absent from modern standard English, the term survives in the fixed expression 'auld lang syne', which serves as a nostalgic bridge to the distant past during New Year celebrations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.