sweating
sweating
UK[ˈswetɪŋ]US[ˈswetɪŋ]
n
the process of producing liquid through the pores of your skin, especially when you are hot, ill, or afraid
adj
producing or covered with sweat
Morpheme Breakdown
sweat
ing
sweat
to perspire
ing
present participle/gerund suffix
Etymology
the word 'sweating' is built upon the ancient germanic root for perspiration, reconstructed as swait-/swīt-, which itself likely descends from the proto-indo-european base sweyd- meaning 'to sweat'. the old english forms swāt and swǣtan carried forward the core meaning of secreting moisture through the skin. the addition of the '-ing' suffix, originating from old english participial and nominal endings, transforms the action into a noun denoting the process itself or an adjective describing the state. thus, the modern term 'sweating' logically and directly encapsulates the ongoing act or condition of producing sweat, preserving a clear semantic link from its physical, literal origins to its current abstract and descriptive uses.
Analysis
Structure: sweat (to perspire) + ing (present participle/gerund suffix)
- sweat: from old english swāt (noun), swǣtan (verb), of germanic origin; related to dutch zweet and german schweiß. functions as the base verb/root.
- ing: from old english -ende (present participle), -ung (noun suffix); of germanic origin. functions as a suffix to form the present participle, gerund, or associated noun/adjective.
Examples
intense sweating is a common symptom of fever.
he came in from his run, his face red and sweating.
the sweating pipes in the basement caused a damp problem.