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Wiktionary

ask

See also: Ask, ASK, and aşk

Contents

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

  • aks, ax (standard until about 1600, now dialectal and no longer standard)

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English asken (also esken, aschen, eschen, etc.), from Old English āscian, from Proto-Germanic *aiskōną (“to ask, ask for”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys- (“to wish; request”).

VerbEdit

ask (third-person singular simple present asks, present participle asking, simple past and past participle asked)

  1. To request (information, or an answer to a question).
    I asked her age.
  2. To put forward (a question) to be answered.
    to ask a question
  3. To interrogate or enquire of (a person).
    I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
    • Bible, John ix. 21
      He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
  4. To request or petition; usually with for.
    to ask for a second helping at dinner
    to ask for help with homework
    • Bible, Matthew vii. 7
      Ask, and it shall be given you.
  5. To request permission to do something.
    She asked to see the doctor.
    Did you ask to use the car?
  6. 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?
    • Addison
      An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity.
  7. To invite.
    Don't ask them to the wedding.
  8. To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Fuller to this entry?)
  9. (figuratively) To take (a person's situation) as an example.
    • 1990 April 26, Paul Wiseman, “Dark days”, in USA Today:
      Even when the damage isn't that clear cut, the intangible burdens of a bad image can add up. Just ask Dow Chemical.
Usage notesEdit
HyponymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Terms derived from ask
TranslationsEdit

NounEdit

ask (plural asks)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. An asking price.

Etymology 2Edit

From Middle English aske, arske, from Old English āþexe (“lizard, newt”), from Proto-Germanic *agiþahsijǭ (“lizard”), a compound of *agiz (“snake, lizard”) + *þahsuz (“badger”).

Alternative formsEdit

NounEdit

ask (plural asks)

  1. (Britain dialectal and Scotland) An eft; newt.
    • 1876, S. Smiles, Scottish Naturalist:
      He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask.
  2. (Britain dialectal) A lizard.

AnagramsEdit

DanishEdit

 
Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da
 
en ask – Fraxinus angustifolia

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse askr, from Proto-Germanic *askaz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ask c (singular definite asken, plural indefinite aske)

  1. common ash (tree, Fraxinus excelsior)

DeclensionEdit

Declension of ask
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative ask asken aske askene
genitive asks askens askes askenes

ReferencesEdit

FaroeseEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse askr, from Proto-Germanic *askaz, *askiz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ask f (genitive singular askar, plural askir)

  1. ash tree
  2. ash wood

DeclensionEdit

Declension of ask
f2 singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative ask askin askir askirnar
accusative ask askina askir askirnar
dative ask askini askum askunum
genitive askar askarinnar aska askanna

IcelandicEdit

Norwegian BokmålEdit

 
Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse askr, from Proto-Germanic *askaz.

NounEdit

ask m (definite singular asken, indefinite plural asker, definite plural askene)

  1. the European ash (ash tree) Fraxinus excelsior

ReferencesEdit

Norwegian NynorskEdit

 
Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse askr, from Proto-Germanic *askaz. Akin to English ash.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ask m (definite singular asken, indefinite plural askar, definite plural askane)

  1. the European ash (ash tree) Fraxinus excelsior

ReferencesEdit

Old SaxonEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Proto-Germanic *askaz, *askiz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ask m

  1. ash tree
  2. spear

DeclensionEdit

Declension of ask (masculine a-stem)
singular plural
nominative ask askos
accusative ask askos
genitive askes askō
dative aske askum
instrumental — —


SwedishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Swedish asker, from Old Norse askr, from Proto-Germanic *askaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ōs- (“ash”).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ask c

  1. the European ash (tree) Fraxinus excelsior
  2. a small box

DeclensionEdit

Declension of ask 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative ask asken askar askarna
Genitive asks askens askars askarnas
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