sloping
UK[ˈsləʊpɪŋ]US[ˈsloʊpɪŋ]
adj
having a surface or line that is at an angle so that one end is higher than the other
adj
(of handwriting) written so that the letters lean to the right
Morpheme Breakdown
slope
ing
slope
to slant
ing
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
the word 'sloping' is a modern english adjective formed directly from the verb 'slope' by adding the participial suffix '-ing'. the verb 'slope' itself has a fascinating journey, originating from the middle english 'aslopen', meaning 'to slip away', which is a contraction of the old english prefix 'a-' (away, off) and 'slupan' (to slip). this old english root is related to the proto-germanic 'sleupaną' and further back to the proto-indo-european root 'sleubh-', meaning 'to slide or slip'. the semantic shift from the action of slipping to the state of being inclined or slanting is logical, as both involve a smooth, angled descent. thus, 'sloping' retains the core idea of a gradual, inclined descent from its ancient roots, now describing a static, angled position rather than the dynamic act of slipping.
Analysis
Structure: slope (to slant) + ing (adjective-forming suffix)
slope (from middle english 'aslopen', meaning to slip away or slant, of old english origin) + ing (a suffix forming the present participle and adjectives from verbs, of old english origin)
Examples
the sloping roof of the cottage was covered in snow.
we walked carefully across the sloping field.
her sloping handwriting was difficult to read.