doting

The word 'doting' has a fascinating journey from describing a state of mental decline to one of excessive affection. Its core morpheme, 'dot', entered Middle English with the sense of being silly or feeble-minded, particularly in old age. Over time, the specific behavior associated with this foolishness—manifested as excessive, often uncritical, fondness—became the primary meaning. The addition of the '-ing' participle suffix transformed the verb into an adjective, solidifying its modern sense of showing foolish or excessive love and devotion, thus completing its evolution from literal senility to metaphorical infatuation.

Structure: dot (foolish) + ing (adjective suffix) 'dot' originates from Middle English 'doten', meaning 'to be foolish or deranged', of uncertain origin, possibly from a Low German or Dutch source. The '-ing' suffix is from Old English '-ende', a present participle ending used to form adjectives.