Dictionary

ing en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɪŋ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• ĭng (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ing, ynge, enge, from Old English ing, *eng (“a meadow; ing”), from Proto-Germanic *angijō (“meadow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énkos (“a bend; curve; bowl; hollow; dell; glen”), from *h₂enk- (“to bend; curve; bow”). Cognate with Scots eng (“ing; meadow”), Dutch eng (“pasture; farmland”), Danish eng (“meadow”), Swedish äng (“meadow; field”), Norwegian eng (“meadow”), Faroese ong (“grassland; meadow; pasture”), Icelandic eng (“a meadow”), Icelandic engi (“a meadow; meadowland”).

Meanings

1. (qualifier:now only in dialects) A meadow, especially a low meadow near a river; water meadow.
   • [There] lay an extent of meadow grounds, in ings, to afford a supply of hay. 1804, Marshall (William), On the Landed Property of England, possibly quoting an earlier work
   • Ings, glens, and fens of the Highlands.
   • Bill for dividing and inclosing certain open common fields, ings, common pastures, and other commonable lands. 1773, Journals of the House of Commons:

Forms

ing en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɪŋ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• ĭng (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Pitman em and en, which it is related to phonetically and graphically, and the sound it represents. The change in vowel probably reflects the familiar suffix -ing.

Meanings

1. The letter for the ng sound /ŋ/ in Pitman shorthand.

Forms

Relateds

the name of the IPA letter for this sound · eng · ing-bing