Is this obsolete English?

Question

I came across this sentence:

He enforced the maintaining of all bona-fide transactions in clergy property, but advocated the revision of such contracts as might be proved fraudulent, and urged a concordat proposing that the state provide for the support of the clergy.

Maximilian in Mexico - Woman's Reminiscences of the French Intervention 1862-1867 Sara Yorke Stevenson

Why would the author use maintaining instead of maintenance? I couldn't find maintaining as a noun anywhere on the net and I am pretty sure she is using it as a noun which again it seems is not one of the meanings of the wor maintaining.

Is this an old fashion word?

Don't assume something in print is well written. I think here they are trying to say that he wanted bona fide transactions to be continued, rather than that he thought they needed maintenance (so to speak). — ralph.m, May 29 '23 at 04:25
Does this answer your question? Why "rising" is used in "From here we can watch the ___________ of the sun" — MarcInManhattan, May 29 '23 at 07:09
Maintaining is a perfectly good noun. "The maintaining of a house can be expensive." — Peter Jennings, Jun 05 '23 at 19:55

score -1 · Answer 1 · answered May 29 '23 at 09:19

-1

In the given sentence, "maintaining" is used as a gerund, which is a verb form that can function as a noun. While "maintaining" is commonly used as a verb, it can also be used as a noun in certain contexts to refer to the act or process of keeping something in a certain condition or state.

Using gerunds as nouns is a common grammatical construction in English, not old-fashioned or wrong. While it may not be as commonly used in everyday speech, it is still grammatically correct and can be found in formal or written language.

answered May 29 '23 at 09:19

ITTSUTFSA

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It is not a verb form functioning as a noun, it's a noun functioning as a noun. – Araucaria - Not here any more. May 29 '23 at 20:28
@Araucaria-Nothereanymore. "Maintain" is a verb, add -ing to make it a gerund enables it to function as a noun. – ITTSUTFSA May 30 '23 at 09:23
No. A gerund cannot have a determiner and will take a direct object not an oblique. In OP’s sentence the -img form is a deverbal noun, not a gerund. – Araucaria - Not here any more. May 30 '23 at 09:36

Is this obsolete English?

1 Answers1