bowling
UK[ˈbəʊ.lɪŋ]US[ˈboʊ.lɪŋ]
n
a game in which players roll a heavy ball down a long, narrow lane towards a set of pins, aiming to knock them down.
n
the action or skill of playing the game of bowling.
Morpheme Breakdown
bowl
ing
bowl
ball
ing
verbal noun suffix
Etymology
the word "bowling" derives from the verb "to bowl," which historically meant to roll a ball. the core morpheme "bowl" traces back to the latin 'bulla,' signifying a bubble or round object, a semantic link that perfectly describes the spherical projectile used in the game. the addition of the "-ing" suffix, common in forming gerunds and activity nouns in english, transforms the action into the name of the sport itself. thus, the term literally and logically denotes "the activity involving balls."
Analysis
Structure: bowl (ball) + ing (verbal noun suffix)
"bowl" originates from late old english or old french 'boule', meaning "ball," from latin 'bulla' (bubble, round object). "ing" is an old english suffix forming verbal nouns indicating action or result.
Examples
we go bowling every friday night for fun and exercise.
she scored a perfect 300 in her last bowling tournament.
the sound of bowling balls rolling and pins crashing is familiar in the alley.