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
shopping
Looking for or buying goods.
Etymology
Shopping is formed from shop, originally the place where goods are sold or work is done. The activity-name describes visiting or using such places to select purchases.