inquest

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident, such as a death

   The inquest into the accident revealed several safety violations.

2. 2
   noun

   an investigation or examination into a matter of public interest

   The committee held an inquest into the financial irregularities.

Simplified etymology

Inquest comes through the French-influenced form of Latin inquirere, “to ask for information.” It originally denoted an official inquiry of any kind; in Britain it later became especially associated with a coroner’s investigation into the cause of a death. The former spelling enquest reflected the older French route, while the in- spelling restored the Latin form.

From Latin in- ('in') + quaerere ('to seek; to ask'), giving Medieval Latin inquestum ('inquiry'); via Old French enqueste and Middle English inquest ('judicial inquiry') into Modern English inquest ('judicial investigation, especially into a death').

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary