borrowing
UK[ˈbɒrəʊɪŋ]US[ˈbɔːroʊɪŋ]
n
The act of taking and using something that belongs to someone else with the intention of returning it.
n
A word, phrase, or idea taken from one language or source and used in another.
n
The practice of taking money from a lender with an agreement to pay it back later, often with interest.
Morpheme Breakdown
borrow
ing
borrow
to take on loan
ing
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'borrowing' is built upon the Old English verb 'borgian', which meant to take or give a pledge or security. This Old English term is related to the Proto-Germanic 'burg-', meaning "pledge" or "debt," and further back to the Proto-Indo-European root 'bhergh-', meaning "to hide, protect, secure." The '-ing' suffix, a common Germanic noun-forming element, transforms the action into its nominal form. Thus, the modern term 'borrowing' logically evolved from the ancient concept of taking something under a pledge of security or protection, a notion that underlies both the financial and linguistic senses of the word.
Analysis
Structure: borrow (to take on loan) + ing (noun suffix)
- borrow: From Old English 'borgian', meaning "to pledge, take a pledge, lend, borrow." Its functional role is the core verb root.
- ing: A suffix of Old English origin used to form nouns from verbs, indicating the action, process, or result of the verb.
Examples
The company's heavy borrowing put it at risk during the economic downturn.
The English language is full of borrowings from French and Latin.
I need to return the book I got from the library; my borrowing period ends today.