c.1300, lenger "reside, dwell," northern England frequentative of lengen "to tarry," from Old English lengan "prolong, lengthen," from Proto-Germanic *langjan "to make long" (cognates: Old Frisian lendza, Old High German lengan, Dutch lengen "to lengthen"), source of Old English lang (see long, adj.). Sense of "delay going, depart slowly and unwillingly" is from 1520s. Related: Lingered; lingering.