Mongerings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who promotes or trades in a specific commodity or idea; an individual who dabbles in discussing or spreading a particular topic, often with a negative connotation; someone engaged in the practice of marketing or bringing attention to a certain good or notion, sometimes in an exaggerated manner
2. An individual involved in the trade or promotion of a specific type of product or belief; a person known for stirring discussions or allegations about a certain subject; someone who actively markets or amplifies interest in a particular idea, usually implying opportunistic motives
3. One who engages in the business of selling or advocating a particular item or concept; a person who is known for disseminating information or rumors about specific themes; an individual who works to enhance the visibility or appeal of a certain good or issue, often viewed skeptically

Etymology: "Mongerings" is the plural of "mongering," which is itself formed from "monger" and the suffix "-ing." The base word "monger" is an Old English noun, meaning a dealer or trader, and it appears in compounds such as "fishmonger" and "ironmonger," where it names someone who sells a particular commodity. The suffix attached to it turns the action of trading or dealing into a noun for that activity. Over time, the sense of "monger" moved away from straightforward commerce. Attached to nouns for goods or ideas, it came to describe a person who pushes or spreads something persistently, often with an implication of excess or self-interest, as in "warmonger" or "scandalmonger." "Mongering" carries that same flavour, so the plural names several such activities at once: the repeated promotion or circulation of a cause, product, or rumour.

Synonyms: trading, dealing, selling, bargaining, hawking