längs

längs is a Swedish preposition and adverb that expresses orientation or direction along the length of something. It describes a path, edge, or surface that runs parallel to the long axis of an object or area. The word is commonly used with nouns in definite form (längs vägen, längs kusten) or with the phrase längs med + noun (längs med kajen) to emphasize alignment along a side.

Usage and examples:

- Vi promenerade längs floden. (We walked along the river.)

- Bilen rullade längs motorvägen. (The car rolled along the highway.)

- Längs hela vägen fanns det träd som gav skugga. (Along the entire route there were trees that provided shade.)

- Hon stod längs med kanten och såg ut över havet. (She stood along the edge, looking out over the sea.)

Grammatical notes:

längs denotes position or movement following the lengthwise direction, rather than across or through. It commonly pairs with nouns indicating a route or boundary and can be used with or without längs med to specify alignment beside something. It contrasts with tvärs (across) or igenom (through), which describe different orientations or trajectories.

Etymology and relation:

The form längs belongs to the core Swedish word family related to lång (long). It reflects the same Germanic heritage found in related languages, with parallel expressions such as lengthwise senses in other Nordic tongues. In English, the closest equivalent is lengthwise or along.