ask

ask · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eys-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂isḱéti
3. Proto-Germanic*iskaną
4. Proto-Germanic*aiskaz
5. Proto-West Germanic*aisk
6. Proto-West Germanic*aiskōn
7. Old Englishāscian
8. Middle Englishasken
9. English todayask

From Middle English asken, axen, from Old English āscian, from Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys- (“to wish; request”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian aaskje (“to ask, demand, require”), West Frisian easkje (“to ask, demand, require”), Dutch eisen (“to demand, require”), German heischen (“to ask, request, implore”), Russian иска́ть (iskátʹ), Sanskrit इच्छति (iccháti) (whence Hindi ईछना (īchnā).

ask · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ógʷʰis
2. Proto-Germanic*agiz
3. Proto-West Germanic*agi
4. Proto-Indo-European*tek-
5. Proto-Germanic*þehsaną
6. Proto-West Germanic*þehsan
7. Proto-West Germanic*agiþahsijā
8. Old Englishāþexe
9. Middle Englishaske
10. English todayask

From Middle English aske, arske, ascre, from Old English āþexe (“lizard, newt”), from Proto-West Germanic *agiþahsijā (“lizard”), a compound of *agiz (“snake, lizard”) + *þahsuz (“badger”). Cognate of German Echse (“lizard”).

Ask · proper noun³

1. Old Norse · borrowed fromAskr
2. English todayAsk

From Old Norse Askr, from askr (“ash tree”).

Ask · proper noun⁴

1. Swedish · borrowed fromAsk
2. English todayAsk

Borrowed from Swedish Ask, from ask (“ash tree”), ultimately also from askr (“ash tree”). Doublet of Ash.

Words from the same roots