English

question

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

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English questioun, from Anglo-Norman questiun, from Old French question, from Latin quaestiōnem, accusative of quaestiō (“a seeking, investigation, inquiry, question”), from quaerere (“to seek, ask, inquire”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Doublet of quest.

    Partially displaced native Old English āscung, whence asking. Compare also Middle Low German quēstie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”).

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English questionen, questyonen, partly from Middle French questionner and partly from the noun.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishquestioun
      • derivedAnglo-Normanquestiun
        • derivedOld Frenchquestion
          • derivedLatinquaestiōnem
            • derivedProto-Italic*kʷaizeō
              • derivedProto-Indo-European*kʷeh₂- “to acquire”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishquestionen
      • derivedMiddle Frenchquestionner

    Related: English quest (doublet), Middle Low German quēstie, Middle High German questje

    Sources