murdering
UK[ˈmɜːdərɪŋ]US[ˈmɜːrdərɪŋ]
verb (present participle)
the act of unlawfully and intentionally killing a person.
verb (present participle)
the act of spoiling or ruining something completely, especially through incompetence.
Etymology
the term 'murdering' finds its ultimate origin in the proto-indo-european root mer-, meaning 'to die'. this evolved into the proto-germanic murþrą, which carried the specific sense of a secret or unlawful killing. old english adopted this as 'morðor', a neuter noun. the modern spelling 'murder' emerged in middle english, influenced by anglo-norman forms like 'murdr(e)'. the '-ing' suffix is the standard english present participle ending, converting the verb into a form that describes the ongoing action. thus, 'murdering' linguistically connects the ancient concept of death with the specific, illicit act of killing, and by extension, to the thorough ruination of non-living things.
Analysis
the word is a present participle form derived from the verb 'murder'. it is not productively segmented into smaller meaningful units in modern english. the base 'murder' originates from the old english 'morðor', meaning 'secret killing, murder', from proto-germanic murþrą.
Examples
he was convicted for murdering three people in a series of tragic events.
the harsh critic accused the director of murdering the classic play with his modern adaptation.
they are investigating the gang suspected of murdering the witness.