question French · revision 17469

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1119, Philippe de Thaon, Comput (questiun)|origins=la quaerō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kɛs.tjɔ̃/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''question''' ''f'' (plural questions)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|quaestiō|t=search, inquiry; examination under torture]], from “quaesitum”, the supine of [[m|la|quaerō|t=to seek, ask]], whence [[quérir]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|2, 1410b)^(Wiktionary) In Latin the word meant search in general, then in law an inquiry, an interrogation and especially an inquiry by torture, and in philosophy a discussion, translating [[grc|ζήτησις|tr=zḗtēsis]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Wiktionary notes that, as a learned word, it kept the “s” before a consonant, unlike the related [[quête]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In 1119 Philippe de Thaon's ''Comput'' uses ''questiun'' for a point imperfectly known that must be examined or discussed.^(TLFi) About 1160 the ''Roman d'Eneas'' has it as a request made to someone to learn something.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ French did not take over the general Latin sense “search”, left to [[quête]] and [[recherche]].^(DHLF 1992) About 1190 a ''question'' was a matter for debate, whence ''mettre en question'' (1541), ''remettre en question'' (1842), ''il est question de'' (1690) and ''pas question !'' (20th century).^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ From 1321, and until the end of the Ancien Régime, ''la question'' was judicial torture (''donner la question'', 1690); this sense now survives only in history.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Later specialisations include exam questions (1869) and parliamentary questions (''question de confiance'').^(DHLF 1992) The verb [[questionner]] dates from the 13th century and [[questionnaire]] from 1533.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1119 – ''Questiun'', a matter to be examined, in Philippe de Thaon.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1160 – A question asked, in ''Eneas''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1190 – A matter for debate, in Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1321 – ''La question'', judicial torture.^(TLFi)

+ * 1541 – ''Mettre en question'' in Calvin.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1694 – ''En question'' “in point”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1869 – An exam question.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|question]]: a request for information: ''poser une question''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An issue, matter, [[m|en|problem]]: ''la question du chômage'', ''une question d'argent''.^(Larousse)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''En question'': in question, ''il est question de'': there is talk of.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''Mettre en question'', ''remettre en question'': to call into question.^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(historical)'' Judicial [[m|en|torture]]: ''soumettre à la question''.^(TLFi)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[questionnaire]]

+ * [[questionner]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[quérir]]

+ * [[quête]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}