Etymograph

English

exquisite

Exquisite comes from Latin exquīsītus ‘to be outsought’, from exquīrō ‘to outseek’, and ultimately from quaerō ‘seek’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaerō‘seek’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexquīrō‘to outseek’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexquīsītus‘to be outsought’perfect passive participle of exquīrō
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1655exquisite

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaerō‘seek’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexquīrō‘to outseek’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEexquīsītus‘to be outsought’perfect passive participle of exquīrō
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1655exquisite

Earliest quotation: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […]: “his books of Oriental languages, wherein he was exquisite”.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- ‘to acquire’

question, enquire, 10 more

through Proto-Italic *kʷaizō

conquest, questionnaire, 10 more

through Latin quaerō ‘seek’

quest, inquiry, conquer, acquisition, query, enquiry, inquire, inquisition, requisite, inquisitor, 12 more

Today it means

adj Especially or extraordinarily fine or pleasing; exceptional.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin quaerō / exquisite

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