different between question vs frain

English

Alternative forms

• quæstion (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English question, questioun, questiun, from Anglo-Norman questiun, from Old French question, from Latin quaesti?nem, accusative of quaesti? (“a seeking, investigation, inquiry, question”), from quaerere (“to seek, ask, inquire”). Displaced native Middle English frain, fraign (“question”) (from Old English fræ?n); compare Middle English frainen, freinen ("to inquire, question"; > Modern English frain), Middle English afrainen, affrainen (“to question”), German fragen (“to ask”) and Frage (“question”). Compare also Middle Low German qu?stie (“questioning; inquiry”), Middle High German questje (“question”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kw?st???n/, /?kw?stj?n/, /?kw??t???n/
• (US also) IPA^(key): /?kw??t?n/
• Hyphenation: ques?tion

Noun

question (plural questions)

1. A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.

2. A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.
3. A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter.

   • There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

   • 1623, Francis Bacon, An Advertisement touching an Holy War

     It is to be to question, whether it be lawful for Christian princes or states to make an invasive war, only and simply for the propagation of the faith.
4. A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.

5. (now archaic, historical, chiefly with definite article) Interrogation by torture.
   • 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle, vol. II, ch. 77:

     I, not at all ambitious of the crown of martyrdom, resolved to temporize: so that, when I was brought to the question the second time, I made a solemn recantation […] .
6. (obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.

Synonyms

• (interrogative): inquiry, enquiry, query, interrogation
• (subject): subject, topic, problem, consideration, proposition
• (doubt): issue, doubt
• (proposal): proposal

Derived terms

Related terms

• query
• quest

Translations

Verb

question (third-person singular simple present questions, present participle questioning, simple past and past participle questioned)

1. (transitive) To ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information.
2. (transitive) To raise doubts about; have doubts about.
   • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)

     He questioned South Korean claims that China is a major source of its pollution.

3. (intransitive) To ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine.
   • 1597, Francis Bacon, Of Discourse

     He that questioneth much shall learn much.

4. (intransitive, obsolete) To argue; to converse; to dispute.

Synonyms

• frain, quaeritate (obsolete)

Derived terms

• questioner

Translations

See also

• answer
• ask
• interrogative

References

• question in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• question at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Alternative forms

• quæstion (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French question, borrowed from Latin quaesti?, quaesti?nem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?s.tj??/
• Rhymes: -j??

Noun

question f (plural questions)

1. a question

2. a matter or issue; a problem

Derived terms

Further reading

• “question” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• quêtions, toniques

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwes?tjon/

Noun

question (plural questiones)

1. question

Middle English

Noun

question

1. Alternative form of questioun

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quaesti?, quaesti?nem.

Noun

question f (oblique plural questions, nominative singular question, nominative plural questions)

1. question (verbal statement intended to elicit a response)
2. question (problem in need of resolution)

Descendants

• ? Middle English: questioun, question, questiun, questyon, questyounn, qwestyon, qwestioun
  • English: question
  • Scots: quaisten, quastin
  • ? Welsh: cwestiwn
• French: question
  • ? Romanian: chestie, chestiune
• Norman: tchestchion (Jersey)

References

• question on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

English

Alternative forms

• frein (Northern England)
• frane (Scotland)
• frayne, fraine, frayn, freyne (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English frainen, freinen (“to ask”), from Old English fre?nan, fri?nan (“to ask, inquire, learn”), from Proto-West Germanic *fregnan, from Proto-Germanic *frehnan? (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *pre?- (“to ask, woo”).

Verb

frain (third-person singular simple present frains, present participle fraining, simple past frained or frain or (rare) froin, past participle frained or froun or (rare) frounen)

1. (transitive, dialectal or obsolete) To ask, inquire.
   • 1522, John Skelton, Why come ye nat to Courte:

     Ones yet agayne Of you I wolde frayne, Why come ye nat to court ?

   • 1555, Parker, Psalme. XXVIII.:

     Theyr myndes disdayne: Gods actes to frain [...]

   • 1575-6, Durham, Depositions and Other:

     And so answerd ever when so the said Umphra frayned the said Thomas; and otherwaies this examinate never hard the said Thomas speak anything of himself to any bodye, duringe the spaic of an hower or more, that this examinate was with the said Thomas.

   • 1592, Warner, Albion's England. Book VII:

     I, musing, frain'd her meaning: she / Her meaning thus did tell.

   • 1803, Amadis de Gaul: A Poem in Three Books - Page 160:

     Nor far had spurr'd the warrior, ere a crew Of hinds and sun-burnt woodmen met his view, Frayn'd by the knight, they told, a beauteous maid, Who, loudly shrieking, call'd on heav'n for aid, [...]

   • 1807, Samuel Henshall, translating "The Durham Book" (c. 900); The Gothic Gospel of saint Matthew:

     But Jesus stood before the count; yea the count frayned him, quothing, thou is king of the Jews? but Jesus quoth to him, thou quoths.

Derived terms

• fraining

Anagrams

• Irfan, infra, infra-

Middle English

Alternative forms

• frein, fraign

Etymology

From Old English fre?n, fræ?n (“question”), akin to Old English fri?nan (“to ask”).

Noun

frain

1. question

Related terms

• frainen

Old French

Etymology

From Latin frenum

Noun

frain m (oblique plural frainz, nominative singular frainz, nominative plural frain)

1. bit (equipment placed in a horse's mouth)

Descendants

• French: frein

Scots

Alternative forms

• frayn, frayne, frane

Etymology

From Middle English fraynen, frainen, freinen, from Old English fre?nan (“to ask”) and Old Norse fregna (“to ask”), from Proto-Germanic *frehnan?.

Verb

frain (third-person singular present frains, present participle frainin, past fraint, past participle fraint)

1. (transitive) to ask, ask about, ask for
2. to enquire
3. (intransitive) to make inquiry
4. to request

Related terms

• fraining

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vrai?n/

Noun

frain

1. Soft mutation of brain.

Mutation