prowling
UK[ˈpraʊlɪŋ]US[ˈpraʊlɪŋ]
adj
moving around quietly in a place, especially with the intent to commit a crime or find prey
verb (present participle)
the act of moving around quietly in a place, especially with the intent to commit a crime or find prey
Etymology
the verb 'prowl' entered middle english in the late 14th century, likely from old french 'proler', meaning 'to rove, search for booty'. the old french term is thought to be of germanic origin, possibly related to middle low german 'prūlen', meaning 'to search about'. the core semantic thread from its origins is the act of moving stealthily or roaming with predatory intent. this sense has remained remarkably stable, evolving from a literal search for plunder to the modern meanings of moving stealthily to hunt, commit crime, or simply linger. the '-ing' suffix is the common english participial ending, converting the action into an adjective or a gerund.
Analysis
the word 'prowling' is the present participle or adjective form of the verb 'prowl'. it is treated as a simplex unit for morpheme analysis as 'prowl' itself is not productively segmented in modern english.
Examples
we heard a prowling animal outside the tent last night.
security cameras caught a suspicious figure prowling the alley.
the feeling that danger was prowling just beyond the firelight kept everyone awake.