long-lived

The compound 'long-lived' is a straightforward combination of two native English elements. The first element, 'long', descends from the Proto-Germanic langaz, which carried the dual senses of physical length and temporal duration. The second element is the past participle of the verb 'to live', from Proto-Germanic libjaną, meaning 'to be, to remain, to live'. The compound thus literally means 'having lived long', a concept that has been applied literally to organisms with great longevity and figuratively to institutions, ideas, or objects that endure over an extended period. Its pronunciation has a variant (ˈlaɪvd) by analogy with nouns ending in '-life' (e.g., 'short-life').

Structure: long (adjective) + lived (verb past participle) - long: From Old English 'lang, long', meaning 'having a great linear extent, lasting a considerable time'. Its role is as an adjective modifying the participle. - lived: From the verb 'live' (Old English 'libban, lifian') + the past participle suffix '-ed'. Its role is to form a compound adjective meaning 'having lived'.