vbl. sb. [f. BARGAIN v. + -ING1.]
1. Trafficking, trading, buying and selling.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), 11. 77. Ȝe built your house with beggery, bargenyng and robberye.
1526. Tindale, 1 Thess. iii. 6. And defraude his brother in bargaynynge.
1727. W. Mather, Yng. Man’s Comp., 396. By Bartering, is meant Goods for Goods. By Bargaining, is understood Money for Goods.
1788. Burns, Lett., 26 May. Extremely fortunate in all my buyings and bargainings.
2. Discussion of the terms of a purchase or contract; chaffering, haggling; negotiation.
1669. Marvell, To Mayor of Hull, Wks. I. 122. A Bill … against … barganing for elections to Parliament.
1787. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 154. I do not understand bargaining, nor possess the dexterity requisite for the purpose.
1876. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. ix. 249. The word bargaining implies an antagonism of interest.
† 3. (Sc.) Wrangling, contest, struggle, fighting.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 306. Hard trawalys, and barganyngis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. v. 61. Eneas with hidous barganyng, In Itale thrawart peple sall doun thryng.
