bedding

the word "bedding" has a straightforward and transparent formation from its root. the old english noun "bedd" originally referred to a place for sleeping or resting, and by extension, a garden plot where plants are "laid to rest" or planted. the addition of the "-ing" suffix, a productive noun-forming element in english, creates a term denoting the materials associated with or constituting a bed. this logical construction directly yields the modern dual meanings: the layers of cloth used on a sleeping bed and the layer of material provided for animals or plants.

Structure: bed (noun) + ing (noun-forming suffix) "bed" is from old english "bedd" (a sleeping place, garden plot), of germanic origin. "ing" is an old english suffix forming nouns from verbs or other nouns, indicating "material for" or "belonging to".