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inquiry

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈkwaɪəɹi/

The English word “inquiry” has 2 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.
  2. A search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation; inquest.

Etymology

From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, 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”). Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

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