robbing
UK[ˈrɒbɪŋ]US[ˈrɑːbɪŋ]
v
(present participle of rob) Taking property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat of force.
v
(present participle of rob) Depriving someone of something needed, deserved, or important.
Etymology
The verb 'rob' entered Middle English from Old French 'rober', meaning to plunder or steal. This Old French term has its roots in a West Germanic source, likely Frankish raubōn, which is related to Old High German 'roubōn' (to rob) and the noun 'roub' (booty). This Germanic family is further traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root reup-, meaning 'to snatch' or 'to break'. The modern form 'robbing' illustrates the standard English grammatical process of adding '-ing' to create a continuous action form, directly connecting the ancient concept of violent seizure to its contemporary legal and figurative meanings of unlawful taking or deprivation.
Analysis
The word 'robbing' is the present participle and gerund form of the verb 'rob'. It is formed by adding the inflectional suffix '-ing' to the base 'rob'. The base 'rob' is a simplex word of Germanic origin and cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The police arrested the man for robbing a convenience store.
The new tax policy is accused of robbing the poor to pay the rich.
She felt that the long illness was robbing her of her vitality.