Inquiry in Different Languages
Discover 'Inquiry' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Inquiry, a deceptively simple word, carries great significance in our daily lives. It represents our curiosity, our thirst for knowledge, and our unending quest to understand the world around us. From Socrates' philosophical inquiries to modern scientific research, inquiry has been the driving force behind countless discoveries and innovations.
Inquiry holds cultural importance across the globe. It is the foundation of education, the cornerstone of intellectual discourse, and the catalyst for progress. From ancient civilizations to contemporary societies, inquiry has been a universal language that transcends borders and connects us all.
Understanding the translation of inquiry in different languages can open up new cultural perspectives and foster global understanding. For instance, in Spanish, inquiry translates to 'consulta', in French it's 'enquête', while in German it's 'Anfrage'. Each translation offers a unique cultural context and nuance, enriching our appreciation of this universal concept.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or a knowledge seeker, exploring the translations of inquiry in different languages can be a fascinating journey. Let's embark on this journey together...
Inquiry
Inquiry in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | navraag | ||
| 'Navraag' in Afrikaans derives from the Dutch word 'navragen', meaning 'to ask further'. | |||
| Amharic | ጥያቄ | ||
| The Amharic word "ጥያቄ" also means "request." | |||
| Hausa | bincike | ||
| The word "bincike" in Hausa is derived from the Arabic word "bin" meaning "son" or "descendant" and "cike" meaning "question" or "inquiry". | |||
| Igbo | ase | ||
| The Igbo word "ase" can also refer to a formal statement or announcement made by a titled person or a group of people, particularly during important ceremonies or events. | |||
| Malagasy | nanontany | ||
| **Nanontany** could mean 'an inquiry' or the action of 'asking to know'. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufunsitsa | ||
| "Kufunsa" (to ask) and "kufunsitsa" (to inquire) are etymologically related. | |||
| Shona | kubvunza | ||
| The word "kubvunza" stems from the verb "kubvunza", meaning "to ask a question", but it may also have connotations of "to seek information" or "to investigate" depending on the context | |||
| Somali | weydiin | ||
| In some parts of Somalia, "weydiin" can also refer to a "request" or "question". | |||
| Sesotho | botsisisa | ||
| Botsisisa' is an abstract noun with the same stem as 'botsa' ('to ask') and 'lebotho' ('question'). | |||
| Swahili | uchunguzi | ||
| The Swahili word "uchunguzi" can also refer to research or investigation. | |||
| Xhosa | yophando | ||
| The word "yophando" is also used to refer to the state of being lost or confused. | |||
| Yoruba | lorun | ||
| The Yoruba word "lorun" can also mean "to ask for directions" or "to investigate". | |||
| Zulu | uphenyo | ||
| The word 'uphenyo' also has the alternate meaning of 'examination', suggesting a more thorough and formal process. | |||
| Bambara | ɲininkali | ||
| Ewe | nutabiabia | ||
| Kinyarwanda | iperereza | ||
| Lingala | kotuna | ||
| Luganda | ekubuuza | ||
| Sepedi | dinyakišišo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nhwehwɛmu | ||
Inquiry in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تحقيق | ||
| In addition to "inquiry," "تحقيق" can mean "investigation," "exam," "verification," "confirmation," "research," "documentation," "proof," "evidence," "proof," and "thesis." | |||
| Hebrew | חֲקִירָה | ||
| The word "חֲקִירָה" (inquiry) in Hebrew is derived from the root "חָקַר" (to inquire, investigate) and also means "חקירה ופלילים" (criminal investigation). | |||
| Pashto | پلټنه | ||
| The Pashto word "پلټنه" also means "question" or "examination". | |||
| Arabic | تحقيق | ||
| In addition to "inquiry," "تحقيق" can mean "investigation," "exam," "verification," "confirmation," "research," "documentation," "proof," "evidence," "proof," and "thesis." | |||
Inquiry in Western European Languages
| Albanian | hetim | ||
| "Hetim" also has a homonym which means "a piece or part of a whole; fragment" | |||
| Basque | kontsulta | ||
| The word "kontsulta" in Basque also means "question" or "consultation" in Spanish. | |||
| Catalan | investigació | ||
| The Catalan word "investigació" is derived from the Latin word "investigare", meaning "to track or follow up". | |||
| Croatian | upit | ||
| The word 'upit' in Croatian derived from the Slavic Proto-root 'vъprositi', meaning 'to ask', which also gave rise to the word 'voprosiť' in Russian. | |||
| Danish | forespørgsel | ||
| The word "forespørgsel" is derived from the Old Norse word "forspegna," which means "to ask for something with a purpose or goal." | |||
| Dutch | onderzoek | ||
| In Dutch, "onderzoek" can also mean 'investigation' or 'research'. | |||
| English | inquiry | ||
| "Inquiry" derives from the Middle French word "enquerir" meaning "to search for information." | |||
| French | enquête | ||
| In 15th-century French, “enquête” meant a legal “inquisition” or “examination”. | |||
| Frisian | enkête | ||
| The word 'enkête' is derived from the Old Frisian word 'enkweste', which means 'investigation' or 'inquisition'. | |||
| Galician | investigación | ||
| 'Investigación' and its Galician cognate 'investigación' share a common origin in the Latin verb 'investigare' meaning 'to track' or 'to trace'. | |||
| German | anfrage | ||
| The word Anfrage originated during the early 17th century from the German verb anfragen "ask (for), make inquiry (of)" (literally "in-ask") and a derivational suffix added to verbal roots to form nouns. | |||
| Icelandic | fyrirspurn | ||
| "Fyrirspurn" also means "question" or "issue" in Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | fiosrúchán | ||
| Fiosrúchán can also mean 'investigation', 'inquest', 'scrutiny', 'examination', 'interrogation', 'query' or 'research'. | |||
| Italian | inchiesta | ||
| "Inchiesta" derives from the Latin "inquirere," meaning "to search into." | |||
| Luxembourgish | ufro | ||
| Ufro is also the name of a river that flows through the north of Luxembourg | |||
| Maltese | inkjesta | ||
| Inquiestu comes from the Italian language with the word inchiesta. | |||
| Norwegian | forespørsel | ||
| The word "forespørsel" is derived from the Old Norse word "spyrja", meaning "to ask" or "to inquire." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | inquérito | ||
| The term can also refer to a survey or questionnaire | |||
| Scots Gaelic | rannsachadh | ||
| Spanish | investigación | ||
| The word "investigación" stems from the Latin word "vestigare", meaning "to track" or "to search carefully". | |||
| Swedish | förfrågan | ||
| The Swedish word "förfrågan" can also mean "request" or "question". | |||
| Welsh | ymholiad | ||
| The Welsh word "ymholiad" is derived from the verb "ymholi" meaning "to ask" or "to make a request". | |||
Inquiry in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | запыт | ||
| The word "запыт" is derived from the Old East Slavic "заптити" meaning "to ask, question, demand". | |||
| Bosnian | upit | ||
| The word 'upit' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'vopiti', which also means 'cry', suggesting a connection between the act of inquiring and the vocal expression of need. | |||
| Bulgarian | разследване | ||
| The word "разследване" can also refer to an "investigation" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | poptávka | ||
| The word "poptávka" in Czech can also mean "demand" or "request". | |||
| Estonian | järelepärimine | ||
| The word "järelepärimine" (inquiry) is a compound word in Estonian, composed of the word "pärimine" (questioning) and a prefix denoting repetition, "järele."} | |||
| Finnish | tiedustelu | ||
| "Tiedustelu" is also a military term meaning "reconnaissance", and is derived from the German "tiefer" ("deep") and "suchen" ("to search"). | |||
| Hungarian | vizsgálat | ||
| "Vizsgálat" comes from "vizsgál", which means to study, examine or investigate, which has its roots in the Proto-Ugric verb "*wɜtɜ-sɜŋk" meaning "to see". | |||
| Latvian | izmeklēšana | ||
| Latvian word "izmeklēšana" also means "investigation". | |||
| Lithuanian | paklausimas | ||
| "Paklausimas" also means demand, request, and inquisition. | |||
| Macedonian | истрага | ||
| In Serbian, the word "истрага" also means "torture". | |||
| Polish | zapytanie ofertowe | ||
| The word "zapytanie ofertowe" in Polish, meaning "inquiry," derives from the verb "pytać" (to ask) and the noun "oferta" (offer). | |||
| Romanian | anchetă | ||
| The word "ancheta" in Romanian also denotes "investigation" or "fact-finding mission" in more formal contexts. | |||
| Russian | запрос | ||
| The word "запрос" can also mean "request" or "demand". | |||
| Serbian | упит | ||
| The word "упит" derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "упитъ", meaning "to ask" or "to question." | |||
| Slovak | dopyt | ||
| The word 'dopyt' also means 'demand' or 'need' in economics, similar to its English cognate 'inquiry' used in the phrase 'supply and demand'. | |||
| Slovenian | povpraševanje | ||
| "Povpraševanje" is derived from the Slovene root "povpra" meaning "ask" or "demand." | |||
| Ukrainian | запит | ||
| "Запит" also means "question", "query", and "investigation" in Ukrainian. | |||
Inquiry in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | অনুসন্ধান | ||
| "অনুসন্ধান" is derived from the Sanskrit word "अनुसंधान " (anusandhāna), which literally means "following after" or "searching for". | |||
| Gujarati | તપાસ | ||
| Hindi | जांच | ||
| The word "जांच" comes from the Sanskrit root "jñā", meaning knowledge or investigation. | |||
| Kannada | ವಿಚಾರಣೆ | ||
| The word "ವಿಚಾರಣೆ" can also mean "investigation" or "inquisition". | |||
| Malayalam | അന്വേഷണം | ||
| The word "അന്വേഷണം" in Malayalam can also mean "research" or "investigation". | |||
| Marathi | चौकशी | ||
| 'चौकशी' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'चतुष्क', meaning 'four', and 'क्षी', meaning 'to see'. This suggests that an inquiry involves a thorough and multi-faceted examination of a matter. | |||
| Nepali | जांच | ||
| The word "जांच" can also mean "investigation" or "examination" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪੜਤਾਲ | ||
| The word "ਪੜਤਾਲ" comes from the Sanskrit word "परीक्षण" which means "testing or examining". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පරීක්ෂණයක් | ||
| Tamil | விசாரணை | ||
| The Tamil word "விசாரணை" can also mean "investigation" or "interrogation". | |||
| Telugu | విచారణ | ||
| The word "విచారణ" has multiple meanings, including investigation, examination, and judgment. | |||
| Urdu | انکوائری | ||
| The word "inquiry" is sometimes used to mean "research" or "investigation" in Urdu. | |||
Inquiry in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 查询 | ||
| "查询" also means "to search for". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 查詢 | ||
| 查詢 (cházhǔn) literally means "to search for traces". | |||
| Japanese | 問い合わせ | ||
| 問い合わせ is often used interchangeably with 照会, and both can also mean to request information. | |||
| Korean | 문의 | ||
| The word "문의" can also mean "door" or "gate" in Korean, highlighting the importance of communication in connecting people and facilitating entry. | |||
| Mongolian | лавлагаа | ||
| "Lavlagaa" is a Mongolian word that can also mean "investigation" or "examination". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စုံစမ်းရေး | ||
Inquiry in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penyelidikan | ||
| The Indonesian word "penyelidikan" is closely related to the word "selidik", meaning "to investigate" or "to research." | |||
| Javanese | priksaan | ||
| "Priksaan" also means "examination" in Indonesian and "investigation" in Malay. | |||
| Khmer | ការសាកសួរ | ||
| This word is derived from the Sanskrit word "prashna," meaning "question". | |||
| Lao | ສອບຖາມ | ||
| "ສອບຖາມ" can refer to an interview, examination, or interrogation as well as an inquiry. | |||
| Malay | siasatan | ||
| The word "siasatan" in Malay can also mean "interrogation" or "investigation". | |||
| Thai | สอบถามรายละเอียดเพิ่มเติม | ||
| สอบถามรายละเอียดเพิ่มเติม is an alternative way of saying 'ask for further details' in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | sự điều tra | ||
| The word 'sự điều tra' in Vietnamese is derived from the Chinese word '调查', which means 'to search for the truth'. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagtatanong | ||
Inquiry in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sorğu | ||
| Etymology: Persian "sorgū" meaning "request, demand"} | |||
| Kazakh | сұрау | ||
| The Kazakh word "сұрау" can also refer to a request, question, or demand. | |||
| Kyrgyz | суроо | ||
| The word “суроо” can also refer to an interview or an examination. | |||
| Tajik | пурсиш | ||
| The noun 'пурсиш' has alternate, metaphorical meanings including questioning, and criticism. | |||
| Turkmen | derňew | ||
| Uzbek | so'rov | ||
| "So'rov" also means "interrogation" in Uzbek. | |||
| Uyghur | سۈرۈشتۈرۈش | ||
Inquiry in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ninaninau | ||
| "Ninau" refers to inquiring or probing, whereas "ninaninau" describes the result or act of making an inquiry. | |||
| Maori | pakirehua | ||
| "Pakirehua" also means "to open up a topic of discussion or investigation" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | fesili | ||
| This word may derive from the Proto-Polynesian word *fesili, meaning 'to ask a question' | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagtatanong | ||
| The Tagalog word “pagtatanong” can refer to any type of question, from a simple request for information to a formal interrogation. | |||
Inquiry in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jiskt'a | ||
| Guarani | mba'eporandu | ||
Inquiry in International Languages
| Esperanto | enketo | ||
| The word "enketo" is derived from the Greek word "enkētēs," which means "investigator" or "examiner." | |||
| Latin | inquisitionis | ||
| The term 'inquisition' derives from the Latin 'inquisitio,' meaning 'investigation' or 'examination,' and was initially used to refer to an impartial judicial inquiry. | |||
Inquiry in Others Languages
| Greek | έρευνα | ||
| The Greek word "έρευνα" can also mean "investigation" or "research", and derives from the verb "ερευνάω" (erevnao), meaning "to search". | |||
| Hmong | kev nug | ||
| The word "kev nug" can also mean "to explore" or "to investigate". | |||
| Kurdish | pirs | ||
| The word "pirs" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "pors" and originally meant "ask" or "question". | |||
| Turkish | soruşturma | ||
| "Soruşturma" also means "interrogation" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | yophando | ||
| The word "yophando" is also used to refer to the state of being lost or confused. | |||
| Yiddish | אָנפרעג | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָנפרעג" (inquiry) comes from the German word "Anfrage" (request). | |||
| Zulu | uphenyo | ||
| The word 'uphenyo' also has the alternate meaning of 'examination', suggesting a more thorough and formal process. | |||
| Assamese | অনুসন্ধান | ||
| Aymara | jiskt'a | ||
| Bhojpuri | जांच | ||
| Dhivehi | މަޢުލާމާތަށް އެދުން | ||
| Dogri | पड़ताल | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagtatanong | ||
| Guarani | mba'eporandu | ||
| Ilocano | saludsod | ||
| Krio | aks | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پرس | ||
| Maithili | पूछताछ करनाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯤꯖꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chhuifiahna | ||
| Oromo | gaaffii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଅନୁସନ୍ଧାନ | ||
| Quechua | tapukuy | ||
| Sanskrit | पृच्छा | ||
| Tatar | сорау | ||
| Tigrinya | ምሕታት | ||
| Tsonga | xivutiso | ||