pre-noun adjectival
Archaic or literary pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) used before nouns to mean 'long' or 'eternal'. In modern Japanese, 長い (ながい) or 永遠の (えいえんの) are used instead. Found in classical texts or fixed expressions.
長の年月を経て、その伝説は語り継がれた。
Over long years, the legend was passed down.
永の別れとなった。
It became an eternal farewell.
Modern adjective meaning 'long'. 長の is an archaic pre-noun form with the same root but limited to literary or classical contexts.
Modern expression for 'eternal'. 永の carries a similar meaning but is archaic and rarely used outside fixed phrases.
Derived from the classical adjective 長し (ながし) meaning 'long' or 'eternal', with the archaic attributive form 長の (ながの) used before nouns. The kanji 永 emphasizes the 'eternal' nuance.