inquire
/ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.38 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "May I inquire to whom I have the honor of speaking?"
- ""A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day.[…]A strong man—a strong one; and a heedless." ¶ "Of what party is he?" she inquired, as though casually."
- "Police are already inquiring into the incident."
- "It is these people, gentlemen, the disseminators of these rumours, who are my dangerous accusers; because those who hear them suppose that anyone who inquires into such matters must be an atheist."
- "Canute had his portion from the rest, The which he cald Canutium, for his hyre, Now Cantium, which Kent we commenly inquire."
Etymology
From Latin inquīrō (“to seek for”), 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”). Displaced Middle English enqueren (from Old French enquerre, of the same source) and native Middle English speir (“ask, inquire”).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: inquīrō, *kʷaizeō, *kʷeh₂-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪnˈkwaɪɹ/
- British English: /ɪnˈkwaɪə/