Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “questioning” come from?

Questioning comes from Middle English -ing and Old English -ing combined with Latin quaestionem, from Latin quaerere meaning to seek or ask.

questioning (English): The action of asking questions; a survey; an...

Definitions

  1. The action of asking questions; a survey; an...

Ancestry of “questioning”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishquestionA sentence, phrase or word which asks for...
2Frenchquestionnerto question, interrogate; to call into question
3Frenchquestiona question; a matter or issue; a problem
4Old Frenchquestionquestion
5Latinquaestiō—
6Latin-tiō—
7Latindissertātiō—
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

Words derived from “questioning”

  • unquestioning
  • questioningly
  • unquestioningly
  • nonquestioning
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →