crossing
UK[ˈkrɒsɪŋ]US[ˈkrɔːsɪŋ]
n
a place where you can cross a road, river, etc., or the act of crossing it
n
a journey across a sea or wide river
n
a place where two lines, tracks, etc. cross each other
Morpheme Breakdown
cross
ing
cross
to go across
ing
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'crossing' is a transparent english formation built upon the noun 'cross'. the root 'cross' itself has a complex journey, entering old english from old norse 'kross', which borrowed it from latin 'crux', denoting an instrument of torture. the latin term is of uncertain origin, though it may be related to a proto-indo-european root for 'bend' or 'turn'. the semantic evolution from a physical object (a cross) to the action of traversing or intersecting likely stems from the image of crossing lines or paths. the addition of the old english agentive and gerundial suffix '-ing' transforms the concept into a noun specifying the place, instance, or result of the action of crossing.
Analysis
Structure: cross (to go across) + ing (noun suffix)
cross (from old english 'cros', ultimately from latin 'crux, crucis' meaning a stake, cross; functional role: root, conveying the core meaning of traversing or intersecting). ing (from old english '-ing, -ung', a suffix forming nouns from verbs; functional role: derivational suffix, indicating an action, process, or result).
Examples
use the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side of the street safely.
the atlantic crossing by sail took several weeks.
the railway crossing is protected by gates and warning lights.