Concernings

Part of speech: preposition

Definitions

1. Involving matters of interest or importance to someone or in relation to particular subjects or issues
2. pertaining to or regarding something, often indicating a sense of worry or consideration
3. addressing elements that affect or influence a person or group in relevant contexts

Etymology: "Concernings" is the plural form of "concerning," a preposition that is not normally pluralised, so this form is a rare variant rather than a standard word in its own right. "Concerning" itself is built from "concern" plus the suffix "-ing," and it came to work as a preposition from the verb: the sense of "concerning" as "relating to" grew naturally out of the verb's sense of having to do with something. The verb "concern" has the older sense of belonging to or affecting someone, and from that it developed the notions of worry and consideration that the preposition now carries. Used as a preposition, "concerning" simply means "about" or "with regard to," while its plural "concernings" would be used in the sense of matters or affairs, as in "the concernings of the household," though this usage is uncommon.