belong

English Online Dictionary. What means belong‎? What does belong mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation): IPA^(key): /bɪˈlɒŋ/
• (General American): enPR: bĭ-lôngʹ, IPA^(key): /bɪˈlɔŋ/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /bɪˈlɑŋ/
• Hyphenation: be‧long
• Rhymes: -ɒŋ

Etymology 1

From Middle English belongen, bilongen, from Middle English be- + longen (“to be fitting, be suitable”), from Old English langian (“to pertain to, suit”), equivalent to be- +‎ long (“to belong”). Compare Saterland Frisian beloangje (“to attain, reach, meet”), Dutch belangen (“to concern”), German belangen (“to sue, concern”).

Verb

belong (third-person singular simple present belongs, present participle belonging, simple past and past participle belonged)

1. (intransitive) To have its proper place.
   1. (of a person) To be accepted in a group.

   2. (followed by to) To be a part of a group.

2. (intransitive, followed by to) To be part of, or the property of.
3. (intransitive, followed by to) To be the spouse or partner of. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
4. (intransitive, set theory) (followed by to) To be an element of (a set). The symbol ${displaystyle \in }$ means belongs to.

5. (obsolete, transitive) To be deserved by.

Usage notes

• This is generally a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous inflection. See Category:English stative verbs

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Jersey Dutch: belânge

Translations

Further reading

• “belong”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Etymology 2

Compare Kriol blanga, Bislama blong, Tok Pisin bilong, and Torres Strait Creole blong.

Alternative forms

• blung, b'longta, b'longa, belonga, blonga

Preposition

belong

1. (Australian Aboriginal, optionally followed by to) Of, belonging to.