promising

lupaava Showing promise, and likely to develop in a desirable fashion.
encourage Encouraging and inspiring confidence.
(present participle of)
The act of making a promise.
1992, Judith Jarvis Thomson, The Realm of Rights (page 299)

So it cannot be supposed that promisings differ from other word-givings in that a word-giver makes a promise only if he or she uses the locution "I promise".