inquire

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in·quire / inˈkwīr; ing-/ (also chiefly Brit. en·quire) • v. ask for information from someone: [with direct speech] “How well do you know Berlin?” he inquired of Hencke | I inquired where he lived | [intr.] he inquired about cottages for sale. ∎  [intr.] (inquire after) ask about the health and well-being of (someone): Annie inquired after her parents. ∎  [intr.] (inquire for) ask to see or speak to (someone): that was Mr. Paul inquiring for you—I told him he couldn't come in. ∎  [intr.] (inquire into) investigate; look into: the task of political sociology is to inquire into the causes of political events.DERIVATIVES: in·quir·er n.in·quir·ing·ly adv.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 cent.