different between inquiry vs trial

English

Alternative forms

• enquiry

Etymology

From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inqu?r?. Later respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n?kwa???i/, /??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?n?kwa?(?)?i/, /??nkw??i/, /???-/
• Hyphenation: in?qui?ry
• Rhymes: -a??ri

Noun

inquiry (countable and uncountable, plural inquiries)

1. The act of inquiring; a seeking of information by asking questions; interrogation; a question or questioning.
2. Search for truth, information, or knowledge; examination of facts or principles; research; investigation

Derived terms

• line of inquiry

Usage notes

According to Fowler's Modern English Usage (1926), inquiry should be used in relation to a formal inquest, and enquiry to the act of questioning. Many (though not all) British writers maintain this distinction; the Oxford English Dictionary, in its entry not updated since 1900, lists inquiry and enquiry as equal alternatives, in that order. Some British dictionaries, such as Chambers 21st Century Dictionary [1], present the two spellings as interchangeable variants in the general sense, but prefer inquiry for the "formal inquest" sense. In Australian English, inquiry represents a formal inquest (such as a government investigation) while enquiry is used in the act of questioning (eg: the customer enquired about the status of his loan application). Both spellings are current in Canadian English, where enquiry is often associated with scholarly or intellectual research. (See Pam Peters, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, p. 282.)

American English usually uses inquiry.

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “inquiry”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?a??l/
• Rhymes: -a??l
• Hyphenation: tri?al

Etymology 1

From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try.

Noun

trial (plural trials)

1. An opportunity to test something out; a test.

   They will perform the trials for the new equipment next week.

2. Appearance at judicial court in order to be examined.
3. A difficult or annoying experience.

   That boy was a trial to his parents.

4. A tryout to pick members of a team.

   soccer trials

5. (ceramics) A piece of ware used to test the heat of a kiln.
6. (Britain) An internal examination set by Eton College.

Translations

Adjective

trial (not comparable)

1. Pertaining to a trial or test.
2. Attempted on a provisional or experimental basis.

Translations

Verb

trial (third-person singular simple present trials, present participle (UK) trialling or (US) trialing, simple past and past participle (UK) trialled or (US) trialed)

1. To carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it.
2. To try out (a new player) in a sports team.

Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Latin tri- (stem of tr?s (“three”)) + -al, on the pattern of dual.

Adjective

trial (not comparable)

1. Characterized by having three (usually equivalent) components.
2. Triple.
3. (grammar) Pertaining to a language form referring to three of something, like people; contrast singular, dual and plural. (See Ambai language for an example.)

   No language has a trial number unless it has a dual.

Derived terms

• triality

Translations

See also

• (grammatical numbers) grammatical number; singular, dual, trial, quadral, paucal, plural ^{(Category: en:Grammar)}

Anagrams

• TRALI, Trail, irtal, litra, trail

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English trial.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: tri?al

Noun

trial m (plural trials, diminutive trialtje n)

1. Cross with small but sturdy and very versatile motorcycles, cars or bicycles

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English trial.

Noun

trial m (invariable)

1. (sports) trials (motorcycle etc)

Anagrams

• altri, latri, tarli

Old French

Etymology

trier (“to try such as in a court of law”) +? -al.

Noun

trial m (oblique plural triaus or triax or trials, nominative singular triaus or triax or trials, nominative plural trial)

1. trial (legal procedure)

Usage notes

• due to lack of attestation, the precise meaning is uncertain

Descendants

• ? English: trial

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (trial)
• trial on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub