Inquiry
/ɪnˈkwaɪəri/noun
A formal or systematic act of asking questions or investigating something.
Did you know?Inquiry comes through Latin from the idea of “seeking” and “searching,” not casual curiosity, which is why it still feels like a word for digging beneath the surface.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷei-
“to seek, ask, or desire”
Latin
Latin
quaerere
“to seek, ask, or look for”
Latin
Latin
inquirere
“to seek into, investigate, examine”
Old French
Old French
enquerre
“to inquire, ask, investigate”
Middle English
English
enqueren / inquiren
“to ask, seek information”
Modern English
English
inquiry
“an act of asking for information or investigating”