ask

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

• (UK)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːsk/

    • Audio (UK)

      (file)

  • (Northern England, Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈask/
  • (multicultural London also) IPA^(key): /ˈɑːks/
• (US)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈæsk/

    • Audio (US)

      (file)

  • (NYC, Philadelphia) IPA^(key): /eəsk/
  • (AAVE, Cajun, Nigeria) enPR: ăks, IPA^(key): /ˈæks/
• Rhymes: -ɑːsk, -æsk
• Homophones: ax, axe (some dialects)

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”).

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.

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
• Pronouncing ask as /æks/ is a common example of metathesis (attested since the Old English period) and still common in some varieties of English, notably African American Vernacular English (AAVE).
• The action expressed by the verb ask can also be expressed by the noun-verb combination pose a question.

• beg, beseech, demand, enquire, entreat, frain, implore, interrogate, petition, prompt, query, question, request, solicit, supplicate

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.

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

• asker, ascar, askerd, askard

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.

• AKs, KAs, KSA, SKA, aks, kas, ska

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

• IPA^(key): /ask/

ask c (singular definite asken, plural indefinite aske)

1. common ash (tree, Fraxinus excelsior)

• “ask” in Den Danske Ordbog

• askur m

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

• IPA^(key): /ask/

ask f (genitive singular askar, plural askir)

1. ash tree
2. ash wood

ask

1. indefinite accusative singular of askur

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

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

1. the European ash (ash tree) Fraxinus excelsior

• “ask” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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

• IPA^(key): /ɑsk/

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

1. the European ash (ash tree) Fraxinus excelsior

• “ask” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From Proto-Germanic *askaz, *askiz.

• IPA^(key): /ɑs̺k/

ask m

1. ash tree
2. spear

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

• audio

  (file)

ask c

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