enquire
/ɪnˈkwaɪər/
verb
Origin
Anglo-French / Old French
enquerre — to inquire, ask, seek information
Overview
Meaning Now
- to ask for information; to make an inquiry
- to investigate or look into something, especially formally
Literal older meaning
to ask into; to seek information about
Language path
Middle English → English
Earliest form
enqueren
Earliest period
Late Middle English
Journey
The verb entered English through Anglo-French after the Norman Conquest, alongside many legal and administrative vocabulary items. In modern English, 'enquire' and 'inquire' overlap heavily, though some style guides prefer 'enquire' for ordinary asking and 'inquire' for formal investigation, especially in British usage.
Evolution
- Latin (classical and post-classical)
inquirere
“to seek after, inquire into”
Source verb behind the Romance and English forms.
- Old French
enquerre
“to inquire, ask”
Romance development with initial e- form in French.
- Anglo-French / Middle English
enqueren
“to ask, inquire”
Borrowed into English in legal and general writing.
- Modern English
enquire
“to ask; to investigate”
Traditional spelling in British English; in many contexts distinguished from 'inquire' in style usage, though historically they overlap.
Connections
Word parts
en-
prefix
into; on
quire
root
to ask, seek information
Related across languages
French
enquérir
to inquire
Spanish
inquirir
to inquire
Italian
inquerire
to inquire
Related words
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Related to enquire
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.