Ask

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɑːsk/

Definitions

1. To put forward a question with the aim of obtaining knowledge ; to appeal or request something from someone ; to invite someone to do or provide something
2. To inquire or question in order to gain understanding ; to solicit or demand a favor, help, or object ; to encourage or prompt someone to take action or offer something
3. To seek information by posing a question ; to request or demand something from another person ; to prompt or encourage an action or response from someone

Etymology: The verb descends from Old English "ascian" and "axian," and its closest relatives mostly meant "demand" rather than "inquire." West Frisian "easkje" and Saterland Frisian "aaskje" both mean "to ask, demand, require," Dutch "eisen" means "to demand, require," and German "heischen" means "to ask, request, implore." The sense of insistence runs deeper in the family than the gentle question we use today. Further afield, the Sanskrit "icchati," meaning "to wish, desire," is also considered a relative, which points to a root in wanting or seeking. English kept the form "axen" through the Middle English period, and the "ask" spelling that eventually won out was already in use alongside it. Both spellings came from the same Old English stem, so the modern verb is essentially the older one with its letters standardized.

Synonyms: inquire, request, question

Antonyms: answer, respond