Welcomyng

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Greeting someone with warmth and gladness when they arrive ; having a friendly, open manner that makes people feel pleasant and inviting
2. Receiving a guest with kindness and cheer on their arrival ; describing a place or person that makes others feel relaxed and at home
3. Extending a friendly greeting to newcomers as they arrive ; characterizing an atmosphere or manner that puts visitors at ease and draws them in

Etymology: Before "welcome" meant a friendly greeting, it was a compound of two Old English words: "wil", meaning desire or pleasure (the same root as the verb "will"), and "cuma", meaning comer. A welcome guest was, quite literally, one whose coming was desired. The "-ing" ending is an ordinary suffix that turns the verb into a participle, and here it works as an adjective describing someone who makes others feel that their arrival is wanted. The spelling "welcomyng" with a "y" reflects older English spelling habits, where "y" and "i" were used interchangeably.