question
Meaning
a sentence, phrase, or word that asks for information or tests knowledge
a matter or problem that is being discussed or needs to be dealt with
to ask someone questions, especially officially
to express or feel doubt about something
Structure
Usage
The teacher answered the student's difficult question.
The safety of the new drug is still an open question.
The police will question the witnesses about the incident.
Etymology
The word 'question' traces its lineage to the Latin verb quaerere, meaning 'to seek, ask, inquire'. This verb, through its past participle stem quaesit-, gave rise to the noun quaestio, signifying 'a seeking, inquiry, investigation'. The term entered English via Old French question in the early 13th century, retaining the core concept of an act of asking. The logical progression is direct: from the literal action of seeking information (quaerere), to the formalized noun for that act (quaestio), and finally to its modern English senses encompassing an interrogative sentence, a subject of debate, and the act of doubting.
Analysis
- quest: From Latin quaestus (acquisition, gain), from quaerere (to seek, ask). Functions as the core root conveying the sense of seeking or inquiry. - ion: From Latin -ionem (nominative -io), a suffix forming nouns of action or state. Functions as a nominalizer, turning the verb concept into a noun.