Ask
Pronunciation
Origin 1
From Middle English asken, from Old English Äxian, Äscian ("to ask, inquire, seek for, demand, call, summon, examine, observe"), from Proto-Germanic *aiskÅnÄ… ("to ask, ask for"), from Proto-Indo-European *ayÇs- ("to look for"). Cognate with West Frisian easkje ("to require, postulate, demand"), Dutch eisen ("to demand, require"), German heischen ("to demand"), Danish æske ("to provoke"), Swedish äska ("to demand"), Russian иÑкать (iskat', "to seek, look for").
Full definition of ask
Verb
- To request (information, or an answer to a question).I asked her age.
- To put forward (a question) to be answered.to ask a question
- To interrogate or enquire of (a person).I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
- Bible, John ix. 21He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
- To request or petition; usually with for.to ask for a second helping at dinnerto ask for help with homework
- Bible, Matthew vii. 7Ask, and it shall be given you.
- To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.What price are you asking for the house?
- AddisonAn exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity.
- To invite.Don't ask them to the wedding.
- To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
Usage notes
This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See
Pronouncing ask as /æks/ is a common example of metathesis and a feature of some varieties of English, notably African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
The action expressed by the verb ask can also be expressed by the noun-verb combination pose a question (confer the parallel in German between fragen and eine Frage stellen).
Derived terms
Noun
ask
(plural asks)- An act or instance of asking.
- 2005, Laura Fredricks, The ask:To ask for a gift is a privilege, a wonderful expression of commitment to and ownership of the organization. Getting a yes to an ask can be a rush, but asking for the gift can and should be just as rewarding.
- Something asked or asked for; a request.
- 2008, Doug Fields, Duffy Robbins, Speaking to Teenagers:Communication researchers call this the foot-in-the-door syndrome. Essentially it's based on the observation that people who respond positively to a small “ask†are more likely to respond to a bigger “ask†later on.
- An asking price.
Origin 2
From Middle English aske, arske, from Old English Äþexe ("lizard, newt"), from Proto-Germanic *agiþahsijÇ ("lizard"), from Proto-Germanic *agi- ("snake") (from Proto-Indo-European *ogÊ·h- ("snake, lizard")) + Proto-Germanic *þahsuz ("badger") (from Proto-Indo-European *teḱs- ("to hew, trim")). Cognate with Scots ask, awsk, esk ("an eft or newt"), Dutch hagedis ("lizard"), German Echse, Eidechse ("lizard").