the word "tithing" originates from the old english "teogoþa" or "tēoþa," meaning "tenth." this old english term is itself derived from the proto-germanic "tehunþô," which is built on the root "tehun," meaning "ten." the "-ing" suffix was added to form a noun denoting the action or practice related to a tenth. the concept and practice of tithing, giving a tenth of one's produce or earnings, is ancient, with roots in old testament law and earlier near eastern customs. the term was later applied to a secular administrative unit in medieval england, a "tithing" being a group of ten households responsible for mutual surety, logically extending the core idea of a decimal division or grouping.

the word is a simplex form derived from the old english noun "teogoþa" or "tēoþa" (tenth) and the suffix "-ing" used to form nouns of action or result. it is not productively segmentable into modern english morphemes with independent meanings.