singing
ˈsɪŋɪŋ
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*singwaną — to sing
Overview
Meaning Now
- the activity or art of producing musical sounds with the voice
- the act of performing a song or vocal composition
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
singan
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word derives from the strong Germanic verb *singwaną, which originally denoted not just vocal music, but also incantation and magical chanting, reflecting the central role of voice in early Germanic ritual culture.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*singwaną
“to sing”
- Old English
singan
“to sing, chant”
- Middle English
singynge
“the act of singing”
- Modern English
singing
“musical vocal performance”
Connections
Word parts
sing
root
to produce musical voice
ing
suffix
forming a gerund or present participle
Related across languages
German
singen
to sing
Dutch
zingen
to sing
Swedish
sjunga
to sing
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.