'askings' derives from the noun 'asking', which is formed from the verb 'ask' + the noun-forming suffix '-ing'. 'ask' originates from Old English 'āscian' or 'āscian' meaning 'to ask, demand'.

'ask' comes from Old English 'āscian' (also spelled 'ascian' or 'acsian'), from Proto-Germanic *aiskōną. The suffix '-ing' is an Old English/West Germanic nominalizer that created nouns indicating an action or its result; 'asking' developed as the noun form and 'askings' as its plural.

Originally related to the action of asking or requesting, the word retained this core meaning; over time 'asking' also came to be used as a countable noun for specific requests, leading to the plural 'askings' for multiple requests.