darkening

the word 'darkening' is a modern english formation built upon the old english adjective 'deorc,' meaning obscure or without light. the suffix '-en,' also from old english, is a productive verb-forming element meaning 'to become or make,' which was attached to 'dark' to create the verb 'darken,' meaning to make or grow dark. the addition of the present participle suffix '-ing' transforms the verb into a noun or adjective describing the ongoing process or state of becoming dark. this transparent morphological construction illustrates a common pattern in english where a native adjective is converted into a verb and then into a verbal noun, maintaining a clear semantic link to the core concept of diminishing light.

Structure: dark (without light) + en (to make or become) + ing (present participle suffix) dark (old english, meaning 'absence of light'), en (old english, a verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make or become'), ing (old english, a suffix forming the present participle of verbs or nouns of action).