saving
UK[ˈseɪvɪŋ]US[ˈseɪvɪŋ]
n
an amount of money that you have not spent, especially in a bank
n
the act of protecting someone or something from harm or loss
n
a reduction in the amount of time, money, or energy that is used or needed
Morpheme Breakdown
sav
ing
sav
e) (to rescue, to keep
ing
noun-forming suffix
Etymology
the word 'saving' originates from the verb 'save', which entered english via old french from the late latin 'salvare', meaning 'to make safe or secure'. this latin term is derived from 'salvus', meaning 'safe, unharmed', a word of proto-indo-european origin related to concepts of wholeness and health. the addition of the old english noun-forming suffix '-ing' transforms the action into a noun denoting either the act itself or the result of that action. thus, the modern abstract meanings of financial reserves, prevention of loss, or reduction in consumption all stem from this core idea of preserving something and keeping it safe from harm or waste.
Analysis
Structure: sav(e) (to rescue, to keep) + ing (noun-forming suffix)
sav(e) (from middle english 'saven', from old french 'sauver', from late latin 'salvare', meaning 'to save, make safe'); ing (old english '-ing', '-ung', a suffix forming nouns from verbs, denoting action or its result).
Examples
she used her life savings to buy the house.
the new software resulted in a considerable saving of time.
the brave firefighter was awarded a medal for the saving of two children.