I've come to the conclusion that this is, decidedly, not a word, at least not as accepted by sources like Merriam-Webster, Oxford, and the like. There fore "pondering," is only really a verb, and not a noun. But that's my issue, see. I've heard the word "pondering" referred to as a noun by people speaking in day-to-day conversation. My father, in particular, likes to say that he "had a pondering today." Just to say that he considered a topic or idea at length. What I'm wondering is if this is colloquial. I'm fine with using words that aren't in the dictionary, or that are used in a context other than what they were originally intended for. But, from the perspective of a first-person, internal dialogue or narration, if I were to use to word "pondering" as a noun, would I confuse people? The word just has a particular kind of connotation, to me, that I want implied in the writing, which is why I'm relatively set on using this particular word, rather than going for something else.
I've never used it as a noun, but I don't think I would be confused if you did, assuming the context made it clear what you meant to say. If I just met your dad and he said that he had 'just had a pondering' I would suspect it was some sort of personal code to describe a bathroom function.
It would probably irk me. It's sort of like the word thinking. I was thinking, but I didn't have a thinking. However, I did find this http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pondering which lists ponderings, and this http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ponderation which defines ponderation as the noun form...
XD Well, I certainly wouldn't want to use it if there are some people that would find it irksome. Thank you both for the input.
i would use it as a noun--and have--in the sense of 'thoughts'... one of the works in the essay section of my website is titled, 'impious ponderings'... and i think the word works perfectly there... see for yourself: http://www.saysmom.com/maia/content.asp?Writing=68 i see it as being akin to 'wandering'... would you be irked by someone calling their travels/journeys 'wanderings'? or find someone's wants/wishes called 'hankerings' irksome?
No, But I'd be irked if someone called their thoughts on their wanderings wonderings. If someone said 'I had a wondering today' like the OP's father says he 'had a pondering' I might be irked, yeah.
I've not heard anybody say that they've "had a pondering" before, but I have often heard (and said) "have/had a ponder". As far as I can tell, ponderings is slang. If it's spoken by a character, or narrated in a character's voice, that should be fine - you're putting the character's way of speaking into the story. If not, you have to ask what tone you want your narration in, and if that's formal you need to avoid this phrase.
i'd be tempted to title a piece akin to my 'impious ponderings' as 'wondrous wonderings'... but i don't think i'd use it in the singular...
