To go hunting derives from an older form such as to go a-hunting. Wiktionary has an article on this a-gerund under the headline a- -ing.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/a-_-ing

Wiktionary says this prefix a- was on. I'm not so sure. Theoretically this prefix might derive from various prepositions at, to, on, in. Originally the word formation was a- + gerund with the unambiguous ending -ing(e), Old English -ung/-ing. Later on, when the original ending of the present participle changed from ende over inde to inge both endings developed the same form and today, at least in most textbooks, these forms are seen as participles, though gerund would make more sense, as such forms are parallel to German

• Wir gingen zum Jagen - literally: "We went to the hunting".

Later this prefix was no longer used except in some dialects and in poetry where an archaic effect is sought.

“To go hunting” derives from an older form such as to go a-hunting. Wiktionary has an article on this a-gerund under the headline a- -ing.

Wiktionary says this prefix a- was the form on. I'm not so sure. Theoretically this prefix might derive from various prepositions at, to, on, in. Originally the word formation was a- + gerund with the unambiguous ending -ing(e), Old English -ung/-ing. Later on, when the original ending of the present participle changed from ende over inde to inge both endings developed the same form and today, at least in most textbooks, these forms are seen as participles, though gerund would make more sense, as such forms are parallel to German

• Wir gingen zum Jagen—literally: "We went to the hunting".

Later this prefix was no longer used except in some dialects and in poetry where an archaic effect is sought.

To go hunting derives from an older form such as to go a-hunting. Wiktionary has an article on this a-gerund under the headline a- -ing.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/a-_-ing

Wiktionary says this prefix a- was on. I'm not so sure. Theoretically this prefix might derive from various prepositions at, to, on, in. Originally the word formation was a- + gerund with the unambiguous ending -ing(e), Old English -ung/-ing. Later on, when the original ending of the present participle changed from ende over inde to inge both endings developed the same form and today, at least in most textbooks, these forms a seen as participles, though gerund would make more sense, as such forms are parallel to German

• Wir gingen zum Jagen - literally: "We went to the hunting".

Later this prefix was no longer used except in some dialects and in poetry where an archaic effect is sought.

To go hunting derives from an older form such as to go a-hunting. Wiktionary has an article on this a-gerund under the headline a- -ing.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/a-_-ing

Wiktionary says this prefix a- was on. I'm not so sure. Theoretically this prefix might derive from various prepositions at, to, on, in. Originally the word formation was a- + gerund with the unambiguous ending -ing(e), Old English -ung/-ing. Later on, when the original ending of the present participle changed from ende over inde to inge both endings developed the same form and today, at least in most textbooks, these forms are seen as participles, though gerund would make more sense, as such forms are parallel to German

• Wir gingen zum Jagen - literally: "We went to the hunting".

Later this prefix was no longer used except in some dialects and in poetry where an archaic effect is sought.