entlang

• lang (chiefly colloquial; postposition only)

Borrowed from Middle Low German entlanc, cognate with German in lang (with a gliding sound -t-).

• IPA^(key): /ɛntˈlaŋ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋ

entlang

1. along

   Ich gehe an dem Fluss entlang.

   I'm walking along the river.

   (Here, Fluss is in dative because it is governed by an.)

   Ich gehe hier entlang.

   I'm walking this way.

entlang

1. along; indicates location or movement
   1. [with genitive]

      Entlang des Flusses stehen viele Bäume.

      Along the river there are many trees.

      Ich gehe entlang des Flusses.

      I'm walking along the river.

   2. (colloquial) [with dative]

      Entlang dem Fluss stehen viele Bäume.

      Along the river there are many trees.

entlang [with accusative]

1. along; indicates movement

   Ich gehe den Fluss entlang.

   I'm walking along the river.

• A general tendency is to use the preposition with verbs showing location and the postposition with verbs of motion.
• Postpositional usage is alternatively analyzable as part of a separable verb (such as entlanggehen).

• “entlang” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “entlang” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “entlang as preposition” in Duden online
• “entlang as adverb” in Duden online