fleeing
UK[ˈfliːɪŋ]US[ˈfliːɪŋ]
v
(present participle of flee) to run away, as from danger or pursuers; to escape by hurrying away.
Etymology
the verb 'flee' originates from old english 'flēon', meaning "to run away, take flight, escape." this old english term is derived from proto-germanic 'fleuhaną', which carries the same sense of fleeing or escaping. this germanic root can be traced further back to the proto-indo-european root 'pleuk-', meaning "to fly," which is also the ancestor of words like 'fly'. the semantic evolution is direct, from the general concept of rapid motion or flight to the specific, urgent action of running away from danger. the '-ing' suffix is a productive english inflection, forming the present participle from the base verb 'flee'.
Analysis
the word 'fleeing' is the present participle and gerund form of the verb 'flee'. it is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern english. the core verb 'flee' is a simplex unit.
Examples
the villagers were fleeing the advancing wildfire.
images of people fleeing the conflict zone filled the news reports.
he was caught fleeing the scene of the accident.