blackening
Meaning
the process or result of making something black or dark in color.
the act of damaging someone's reputation; defamation.
Structure
Usage
the blackening of the sky signaled the approaching storm.
the politician accused the newspaper of the blackening of his character.
the blackening of the silverware was caused by exposure to sulfur.
Etymology
the word 'blackening' is built upon the old english adjective 'blæc,' meaning 'dark' or 'ink-colored.' the addition of the verb-forming suffix '-en' creates the verb 'blacken,' meaning 'to make or become black.' finally, the gerund or present participle suffix '-ing' is appended to form a noun denoting either the action of making something black or the resulting state. this straightforward morphological process illustrates a common pattern in english where an adjective is transformed into a verb and subsequently into a noun describing the associated action or result. the figurative sense of damaging a reputation emerged from the metaphorical association of blackness with evil, disgrace, or shame.
Analysis
black (old english, adjective meaning 'dark, ink-colored'), en (old english, verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make or become'), ing (old english, suffix forming verbal nouns indicating action or result).