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inquiro

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word inquiro

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
220–130 BC, Pacuvius
Ultimate origin
Latin (quaerō)

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ɪŋˈkʷiː.roː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [iŋˈkʷiː.ro][1]

Forms

inquīrō (present infinitive inquīrere, perfect active inquīsīvī, supine inquīsītum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is formed from in- (“into”) and quaerō (“to seek”).[2][3] De Vaan finds the origin of ⟨quaerō⟩ disputed and reports Nussbaum's derivation from a root Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”), cognate with Ancient Greek πέπαμαι (pépamai, “to acquire”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Pacuvius,[4] whose character calls on the Sun to grant the power of searching out a parent.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is to search out a person or thing and to inquire into or investigate, as Lucretius' prying into every secret and Horace's “I shall inquire what madness is”.[2][3] In law it is to make judicial inquiries, as Cicero's discovery of thefts and crimes during his inquiry, and with in to search for grounds of accusation against someone, as Cicero's request for a very short time for inquiry in Sicily.[2][3][1]

Church Latin glosses it “seek, seek after, desire, search”.[5] English inquire came from it through Old French around 1300.[6]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius of searching for a parent.[2][7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius of investigating everything.[2][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a legal inquiry in Sicily.[3][7]
  • c. 1300 – English inquire, through Old French.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To search for, seek out.[2][3][1][5]
  2. To inquire into, investigate, examine.[2][1]
  3. (law) To make inquiries; to search for grounds of accusation against someone.[2][3][1]

Word family

  • adinquiro
  • inquīsītiō
  • inquīsītor
  • praeterinquiro
  • inquīsītus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Inquiro.” Etymologically, 19 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/inquiro. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·