Where does “-ing” come from?

-ing (Old English) comes from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

-ing (Old English): Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...

Definitions

  1. Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...

Ancestry of “-ing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
2Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
3Proto-West Germanictūnfence
4Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
5Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
6Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “-ing”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnom →Every word from Gaulish dunum →