Querie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A question posed in order to seek information or clarification about something
2. An inquiry made to obtain an answer or to request specific information
3. A question directed at someone with the intent of eliciting a response or explanation

Etymology: Both "query" and "question" come from the Latin verb "quaerere," meaning "to seek" or "to ask." The two words travelled into English by separate routes: "question" through the Latin noun "quaestio," and "query" through Old French "quere," a form of the same verb. That split is why they look related yet feel slightly different, with "query" often suggesting a doubt or a request for clarification rather than a formal inquiry. "Querie" is an older spelling of the same word, and the variant shows how the Old French form was written before English spelling settled. Its basic sense of asking or seeking information has stayed fairly constant, which is less surprising than the fact that the same root produced both "question" and "query" through different French and Latin channels.