dreaming
UK[ˈdriːmɪŋ]US[ˈdriːmɪŋ]
n
The experience of thoughts, images, and feelings that happen in the mind during sleep.
n
A state of mind in which someone is thinking about pleasant but unlikely things, or is not paying attention.
Morpheme Breakdown
dream
ing
dream
to have visions in sleep
ing
noun-forming suffix
Etymology
The word 'dreaming' is built upon the noun 'dream,' which has a complex history in English. Its Old English ancestor, drem or dream, originally meant "joy, mirth, noisy merriment," and also "music." The sense of "a series of thoughts or images during sleep" emerged in Middle English, possibly influenced by related Old Norse draumr. The modern verb 'to dream' developed from this noun. The suffix '-ing,' of Germanic origin, is added to the verb to create a gerund or verbal noun, encapsulating the action or state itself. Thus, 'dreaming' linguistically captures the process of experiencing the mental phenomena of a dream, connecting the ancient concept of a vivid mental event to the continuous act of experiencing it.
Analysis
Structure: dream (to have visions in sleep) + ing (noun-forming suffix)
dream: From Middle English drem, dream, of Old English origin, meaning "joy, music, dream." Its functional role is the core semantic root.
ing: A suffix of Old English origin used to form nouns from verbs, indicating an action, process, or result. Its functional role is to nominalize the verb.
Examples
I remember my dreaming vividly from last night.
She was lost in a pleasant daydreaming during the lecture.
The study of dreaming is a major field in psychology.