inquiry

B1 Topic:Communication

Also spelled enquiry

US /ɪnˈkwaɪ(ə)ɹi/ UK /ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #7437

Meanings

1

noun
A question or request for information.

We received several inquiries about the new course.
2

noun
An official investigation into something.

The government ordered an inquiry into the disaster.
3

noun
The act of searching for truth or knowledge; research.

Scientific inquiry depends on careful observation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a question or request for... enquiryquery question

2 noun · an official investigation... enquiry

3 noun · the act of searching for... enquiryresearch

Word family

Forms inquiries

Derived forms coinquiry

Etymology

From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

enquery Middle English inquīrō Latin *kʷaizeō Proto-Italic *kʷeh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication Philosophy & Reasoning

External links

# inquiry

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkwaɪ(ə)ɹi/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 7437

## Meanings
1. A question or request for information.
2. An official investigation into something.
3. The act of searching for truth or knowledge; research.

## Examples
- We received several inquiries about the new course.
- The government ordered an inquiry into the disaster.
- Scientific inquiry depends on careful observation.

## Derived Forms
- coinquiry

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: enquery
- Root: inquīrō
- Root: *kʷaizeō
- Root: *kʷeh₂-

## Etymology
From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

## AI Etymology
Inquiry comes from Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Communication
- Philosophy & Reasoning

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