enquérir

Forms

enquérir^[1] Old French enquerre, which lasted beside enquérir until the 19th century.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French enquerre (“to ask”), remade in 1335 after quérir,^[4][2][3] inherited from Vulgar Latin *inquaerō, from Latin inquīrō (“to seek, inquire”), formed from in- and quaerō (“to seek, ask”).^[4][2][5] Bloch and Wartburg think the Latin verb was refashioned after the simple verb among the learned rather than in popular speech.^[3]

Cognate with Italian inchiedere, Old Occitan enquerre and Catalan enquerre.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The present form enquert “asks” is found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[4][2] The Chanson de Roland has Enquis a mout la lei de salveté (“he has inquired much into the law of salvation”).^[6]

Semantic evolution

Until the classical period the verb was transitive, “to question someone about something”;^[2][7] it survives in legal language in un témoin enquis, a witness who has been questioned.^[2][3][4] The pronominal s'enquérir de “to inquire about, find out by asking” is recorded from 1474, in Georges Chastellain, and is now the usual use.^[4][2]

The old enquerre remains in heraldry in armes à enquerre (1690), arms that break the rules and so call for an explanation.^[2] The noun enquête (about 1170) comes from Vulgar Latin *inquaesita, the past participle of the Vulgar Latin verb used as a noun;^[2][3] enquêteur is found in Beaumanoir (1283).^[3]

English inquire (about 1300) comes both from Old French enquerre and directly from Medieval Latin.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – Enquert “asks” appears in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[4]
• c. 1170 – The noun enqueste is recorded.^[2]
• 1283 – Enquêteur is found in Beaumanoir.^[3]
• c. 1300 – English borrows the verb as enqueren.^[8]
• 1335 – The remade infinitive enquerir is recorded.^[4][2]
• 1474 – Chastellain uses s'enquérir “to inform oneself”.^[4]
• 1690 – The heraldic phrase armes à enquerre is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (pronominal, literary) S'enquérir de: to inquire about something, try to find it out by asking or examining: elle s'est enquise de l'heure du départ.^[9][1]
2. S'enquérir de qqn: to ask after someone.^[9]
3. (archaic, transitive) To question someone about something; in law, un témoin enquis, a witness who has been questioned.^[4][7]

Related words

• enquête
• enquêteur
• enquêter
• quérir
• requérir
• Latin inquīrō
• English inquire

Usage notes

The proverb trop enquérir n'est pas bon warns that one may learn what one would rather not know.^[4][6] The verb is conjugated like acquérir.^[10]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 706b
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert