retailing
UK[ˈriːteɪlɪŋ]US[ˈriːteɪlɪŋ]
n
The business of selling goods to the public in small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
tail
ing
re
again
tail
cut
ing
noun suffix
Etymology
The word "retailing" originates from the Old French verb retaillier, meaning "to cut off, clip, pare, divide". This is formed from the prefix re- (expressing intensive force) and taillier (to cut). The core logic connects the act of cutting a large bulk of goods into smaller pieces with the commercial practice of selling goods in small quantities directly to the consumer, as opposed to wholesale. The suffix -ing nominalizes the action, turning the verb into a noun that describes the business activity itself. Thus, the modern abstract meaning of the distribution and sale of goods to end-users is built upon the literal image of dividing a larger whole.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + tail (cut) + ing (noun suffix)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
tail: From Old French taillier, meaning "to cut", from Latin taliare (to cut).
ing: Old English suffix forming verbal nouns indicating an action or its result.
Examples
She has over twenty years of experience in fashion retailing.
Online retailing has transformed the way people shop for books.
The company's core business is the retailing of consumer electronics.