inquire
/ɪnˈkwʌɪə
/verb
Another term for enquire.Even when going about their business, Ugandans will take the time to stop and greet people properly, inquiring after their health and their family - a far cry from the Western culture of ‘no time to chat’....
- But a month later, a letter from the same Stepping Hill unit arrived at her home in Bramhall asking why she missed a date at Manchester Royal Infirmary and inquiring if there was ‘a difficulty’.
- This was overlooked by the Greeks who started inquiring into the reasons for the ‘dignified postures’ of Egyptian statues (already Plato commented on this).
Usage
On the difference between inquire and enquire, see enquire (usage).
Derivatives
inquirer
/ noun ...- Similarly, negotiators and inquirers must acknowledge their own biases and ‘remain open to the positions and interests of others’.
- A big attraction for subscribers is an online ‘price request’ facility, allowing for inquirers and engineers looking for specific prices on equipment or services to find suppliers and their price tags at the push of a button.
- In times to come, historical inquirers will know better how to appraise its importance and influence, even in what is at present hidden from our gaze and where no or only grudging recognition is accorded.
Origin
Middle English enquere (later inquere), from Old French enquerre, from a variant of Latin inquirere, based on quaerere 'seek'. The spelling with in-, influenced by Latin, dates from the 15th century.