-ing

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

-ing2 suffix of the prp., ME. alt. of OE. -ende, later -inde, in late Nhb. -ande (after ON.) = OS. -and (Du. -end), OHG. -anti, -enti, -onti (G. -end), ON. -andi, Goth. -ands, corr. to L. -ant- -ANT, -ent- -ENT, Gr. -ont-, Skr. -ant-. The forms -inde, -ende continued in the Kentish area till XIV, but from the end of XII there was a general tendency to assim. -inde to -ING1. Several words of ppl. orig. or nature are used only or mainly as adjs., e.g. strapping, unavailing, willing; others (mostly of F. orig.) are preps., viz. concerning, during, pending.

As a morphological feature the prp. enters into the formation of the tenses with the verb be, variously known as progressive, continuous, indefinite: e.g. I am coming, They were fighting; the use is found in the earliest OE.

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T. F. HOAD. "-ing." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "-ing." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ing1.html

T. F. HOAD. "-ing." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ing1.html

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