dealing
Meaning
the activity of buying, selling, or doing business with people
the way in which someone behaves towards other people
Structure
Usage
the company has a reputation for fair dealing with its suppliers.
his dealings in the stock market made him a wealthy man.
i will have no further dealings with someone so dishonest.
Etymology
the word 'dealing' originates from the old english verb dǣlan, which meant "to divide, distribute, or share." this verb is derived from the proto-germanic dailijaną, itself from the proto-indo-european root dʰail-, meaning "to divide." the core concept of division evolved into the notion of distributing goods or shares, which naturally extended into the realm of commerce and negotiation. the addition of the '-ing' suffix, a common english nominalizer, transformed the action into a noun denoting the conduct or process of business transactions or interpersonal behavior, capturing both the commercial and social senses of the word.
Analysis
deal (from old english dǣlan, meaning "to divide, distribute, share"), ing (from old english -ung, -ing, a suffix forming nouns of action or result)