interviewing
UK[ˈɪn.tə.vjuː.ɪŋ]US[ˈɪn.t̬ɚ.vjuː.ɪŋ]
v
The present participle or gerund of 'interview', meaning the act of formally asking someone questions to assess their suitability for a job, role, or to obtain information for publication or broadcast.
Morpheme Breakdown
inter
view
ing
inter
between, mutual
view
see, look at
ing
verb suffix indicating continuous action or gerund
Etymology
The word 'interviewing' is built upon the noun 'interview', which entered English in the early 16th century from the French entrevue, itself derived from s'entrevoir meaning "to see each other, to meet". The French term is a compound of the Latin prefix inter- ("between, mutual") and the verb voir ("to see"), from Latin vidēre. The core concept is thus a "mutual seeing" or a meeting between parties. Over time, this sense of a formal meeting evolved specifically into a conversation with a purpose, such as for assessment or information gathering. The addition of the English participial suffix -ing transforms it into the action or process of conducting such a formal, question-and-answer meeting.
Analysis
Structure: inter (between, mutual) + view (see, look at) + ing (verb suffix indicating continuous action or gerund)
- inter: From Latin inter, meaning "between, among, mutually".
- view: From Latin vidēre ("to see"), via Anglo-French veue (past participle of veoir "to see"), entering English as 'view'.
- ing: A native English suffix from Old English -ende (present participle) and -ung (verbal noun), used to form gerunds and present participles.
Examples
She spent the whole afternoon interviewing candidates for the marketing position.
The journalist was interviewing the mayor about the new city policy.
Practicing interviewing is crucial for improving your confidence and communication skills.