quaerere

Quaerere is a Latin verb meaning to seek, to search, to inquire, or to ask. It is a third‑conjugation verb. The principal parts are quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitum, which yield the present active (quaero, quaeris, quaerit, quaerimus, quaeritis, quaerunt), the imperfect (quaerebam, quaerebas, quaerebat, quaerebamus, quaerebatis, quaerebant), the future (quaeram, quaeres, quaeret, quaerēmus, quaerētis, quaerent), and the perfect (quaesivi, quaesivisti, quaesivit, quaesivimus, quaesivistis, quaesiverunt). The supine is quaesitum and the perfect passive participle is quaesitus (masc.), quaesita (fem.), quaesitum (neut.).

Quaerere is transitive and usually takes a direct object in the accusative to indicate what is sought (for example, quaero librum, “I seek a book”). It can also take ab/ā + abl. to express asking from someone (quaero ab amico) or de + abl. to inquire about something (quaero de re). It occurs in indirect questions (quaero quis venit, “I ask who is coming”) and in phrases meaning to investigate or seek the cause or truth (quaerere causam, quaerere veritatem).

Etymology and derivatives: From Latin quaero, quaerere; ultimately from Proto-Italic *kwaer- and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning “to seek.” It is the source of English inquire, inquiry, and quest, via later French and Latin forms.