begging vs mendicancy

begging and mendicancy both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
begging	Yes	No	No	No
mendicancy	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, begging and mendicancy are synonyms defined as:

begging and mendicancy: a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

Other synonyms of begging include beggary.

begging (noun)	mendicancy (noun)
a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)	a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)
	the state of being a beggar or mendicant