"a- -ing" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "an",
        "4": "",
        "5": "on"
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      "expansion": "Old English an (“on”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-ung"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -ung",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
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      },
      "expansion": "Middle English",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-ende"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -ende",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "The first element is a reduced form of Old English an (“on”); the second element is the Middle English gerund suffix -ing(e) from Old English -ung, -ing. Therefore, I go a-hunting = I go on (a) hunting/I go on a hunt. Due to confusion with the unrelated Middle English present participle ending -inge (alteration of -inde from Old English -ende, the use of a(n) preposition (which was fast evolving into a distinct prefix) was extended to present participles (and not merely restricted to preceding verbal nouns). With this development, the a- -ing circumfix emerged. Nowadays, in the few dialects of English (such as, notably the dialect of Smith Island, Virginia) which retain this circumfix, it is only circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase; otherwise, -ing is suffixed.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      "expansion": "a- -ing",
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "circumfix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English circumfixes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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          "source": "w"
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1951, I. Opie, P. Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, published 1997, page 63:",
          "text": "Bye, baby Bunting, / Father's gone a-hunting, / Mother's gone a-milking, / Sister's gone a-silking, / Brother's gone to buy a skin / To wrap the baby Bunting in.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form present participles and verbal nouns; and, (dialectal) circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase (e.g. “he went a-hunting”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-a-_-ing-en-circumfix-EJvS3iZS",
      "links": [
        [
          "e.g.",
          "e.g.#English"
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      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Used to form present participles and verbal nouns; and, (dialectal) circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase (e.g. “he went a-hunting”)"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "em- -en"
        },
        {
          "word": "en- -en"
        },
        {
          "word": "y- -t"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ə- -ɪŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "a- -ing"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "an",
        "4": "",
        "5": "on"
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      "expansion": "Old English an (“on”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-ung"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -ung",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-ende"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -ende",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "The first element is a reduced form of Old English an (“on”); the second element is the Middle English gerund suffix -ing(e) from Old English -ung, -ing. Therefore, I go a-hunting = I go on (a) hunting/I go on a hunt. Due to confusion with the unrelated Middle English present participle ending -inge (alteration of -inde from Old English -ende, the use of a(n) preposition (which was fast evolving into a distinct prefix) was extended to present participles (and not merely restricted to preceding verbal nouns). With this development, the a- -ing circumfix emerged. Nowadays, in the few dialects of English (such as, notably the dialect of Smith Island, Virginia) which retain this circumfix, it is only circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase; otherwise, -ing is suffixed.",
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "circumfix",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "em- -en"
    },
    {
      "word": "en- -en"
    },
    {
      "word": "y- -t"
    }
  ],
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        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
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        "English terms derived from Middle English",
        "English terms derived from Old English",
        "English terms inherited from Middle English",
        "English terms inherited from Old English",
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1951, I. Opie, P. Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, published 1997, page 63:",
          "text": "Bye, baby Bunting, / Father's gone a-hunting, / Mother's gone a-milking, / Sister's gone a-silking, / Brother's gone to buy a skin / To wrap the baby Bunting in.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form present participles and verbal nouns; and, (dialectal) circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase (e.g. “he went a-hunting”)"
      ],
      "links": [
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Used to form present participles and verbal nouns; and, (dialectal) circumfixed to words which function as part of a verb phrase (e.g. “he went a-hunting”)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ə- -ɪŋ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "a- -ing"
}