Waschynge

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of cleansing something with water, often with soap, to remove dirt ; the clothes and linen collected to be laundered
2. Cleaning objects or the body with liquid to remove grime ; the garments and fabrics gathered up for laundering
3. Scrubbing and rinsing to rid something of dirt ; the soiled items of clothing and bedding awaiting a wash

Etymology: Spelled "waschynge," this is a Middle English form of the modern noun-and-gerund "washing," from the verb "wash." Its ending shows how the suffix was written before standard spelling: "-ynge" stands for the same "-ing" sound, so the "y" was a scribal choice, not a separate syllable. The root goes back to Old English "wascan" (or "wæscan"), a verb for cleansing with water, and the "-ing" suffix marks a verbal noun, meaning the act of washing or the clothes and other things being washed. Modern "washing" for laundry is the sense that survived most strongly.