quadrupling

the word 'quadrupling' is built upon the adjective 'quadruple', which traces its lineage directly to latin. the latin term quadruplus was a compound of quadri-, meaning 'four', and -plus, meaning 'fold' or 'times'. this literal sense of 'fourfold' passed into english via middle french. the addition of the english gerund suffix '-ing', of germanic origin, transforms it into a noun denoting the action or process of making something fourfold. thus, the modern abstract meaning of multiplying by four is a direct and logical extension of its ancient numerical components.

Structure: quadruple (fourfold) + ing (verbal noun suffix) quadruple (from latin quadruplus, from quadri- (four) + -plus (fold)); ing (from old english -ing, -ung, a suffix forming verbal nouns).