Where does “weedkilling” come from?
weedkilling (English) comes from English killing, from Middle English kyllyng, from Middle English -ynge, from Old English -ung, from Proto-Germanic -ungō — -ing, -ion. "Forms gerund nouns from verbs.".
weedkilling (English): The destruction of weeds
Ancestry of “weedkilling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | killing | present participle of kill; That literally... |
| 2 | Middle English | kyllyng | — |
| 3 | Middle English | -ynge | Alternative form of -ing |
| 4 | Old English | -ung | forming nouns from verbs, denoting verbal action... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ungō | -ing, -ion. "Forms gerund nouns from verbs." |