Gerund

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɛɹənd/

Definitions

1. A form that results from a verb, acting as a noun while conveying a continuous action or state in sentences
2. A noun derived from a verb that signifies an action in progress, serving various syntactic purposes
3. A verb form used as a noun that expresses an action currently taking place

Etymology: The word that names the "-ing" form of a verb began as a Latin grammatical term with a surprisingly practical sense: the Romans called it "gerundium" because it was the form that "is to be carried out," from "gerendus," the future passive participle of "gerō," meaning "carry" or "bear." Latin grammar used these forms for necessity and obligation, so the name points to tasks that still must be done rather than to the action itself. English took the word directly from Latin as a learned borrowing, so it bypassed the usual route through French that many everyday vocabulary words followed. Its spelling and stress were shaped by scholars who wrote about Latin grammar, which is why the term sounds more formal than the English verb-forms it describes.