DictionaryRoot: -ing
English

-ing

an action or activity

Forms

  • -ing
  • -ung — An older related English form.

Origin

Old English -ing and -ung formed names for actions. Their later spelling converged with the ending used in doing and walking.

Note

The same modern spelling now serves several grammatical jobs whose histories were not identical.

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noun

feeling

An emotion, physical sensation, or intuitive impression.

Etymology

The noun ending names what is experienced through feeling. From physical perception, the word extends to emotions and impressions that are sensed without explicit reasoning.

Full entry

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