Etymograph

English

question

Question comes from Middle English questioun ‘a problem, objection, or doubt’, from Latin quaestiō ‘a seeking, investigation, inquiry, question’, and ultimately from quaerere.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaerere‘to seek’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaestiō‘a seeking’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaestiōnemaccusative of quaestiō
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400question
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400questiun
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500questioun‘a problem’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606question

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaerere‘to seek’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaestiō‘a seeking’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquaestiōnemaccusative of quaestiō
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400question
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400questiun
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500questioun‘a problem’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606question

Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “Made she no verbal question?”

The story

Partially displaced native Old English āscung, whence asking.

Linked words

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

acquisition, exquisite, conquer, query, requisite, conquest, inquisition, inquisitor, 12 more

through Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō

inquiry, enquiry, inquire

through Latin quaerere ‘to seek, ask, inquire’

enquire

Another origin of question

  1. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600questionner
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500questionen
  3. Englishtodayquestion

Today it means

noun A worded or expressed sentence, phrase, or only a word on its own, which asks for information, a reply, or a response; an interrogative.

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

Etymograph / Latin quaerere / question

Shirt and support for this word