inquest
UK[ˈɪŋkwest]US[ˈɪŋkwest]
n
an official inquiry to discover the facts about something, especially a death
Morpheme Breakdown
in
quest
in
in
quest
seek
Etymology
the word 'inquest' entered english in the late 13th century from the old french 'enqueste', which itself derived from the vulgar latin 'inquesta', a noun formed from the feminine past participle of 'inquirere' (to inquire). the latin source is 'inquirere', composed of 'in-' (into) and 'quaerere' (to seek, ask). the core semantic logic has remained remarkably stable: an inquest is literally a judicial "seeking into" or investigation of facts, particularly concerning a death. this legal and investigative sense was firmly established in anglo-norman law and passed directly into english legal terminology.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + quest (seek)
- in: from latin 'in-', meaning "in, into, on, upon". a prefix indicating direction or location.
- quest: from latin 'quaerere' (to seek, ask), via old french 'queste'. functions as the root noun meaning "a search".
Examples
the coroner will open an inquest into the sudden death next week.
the documentary prompted a public inquest into the government's handling of the crisis.
the jury at the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.