the word 'striving' originates from the old french verb 'estriver', which carried the sense of quarreling or contending. this term was absorbed into middle english as 'striven', where its meaning broadened from physical conflict to the vigorous exertion of effort towards a goal. the germanic root, shared with words in dutch and old high german, conveys a sense of struggle and earnest effort. the addition of the '-ing' suffix, a productive english nominalizer from old english, transforms the action of the verb into a noun denoting the continuous process or state of making such an effort.

Structure: striv (to contend) + ing (noun suffix) striv (from old french 'estriver', meaning to quarrel, contend; of germanic origin, related to middle dutch 'strijven' and old high german 'strīban', meaning to strive, fight). ing (a native english suffix forming verbal nouns, from old english '-ung', '-ing', denoting action or process).