enquiry

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*kʷeh₂-“to acquire”
2. Proto-Italic · derived from*kʷaizeō
3. Latin · derived frominquīrō
4. Middle English · inherited fromenquery
5. English todayenquiry

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”). The alternative form inquiry was subsequently respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

Words from the same roots