exquisite

Where does the word "exquisite" come from? It comes from Latin quaerere, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Exquisite’s story begins in Latin: quaerere meant “to seek.” To seek, combined with ex- (out). Within Latin, it grew into exquirere by ancient. To search out carefully, from ex- and quaerere, with irregular past participle exquisitus. It reached English by 1400s as exquisite. Settled as the English word for something extremely beautiful and carefully made. Today, exquisite means extremely beautiful, delicate, or carefully made.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient quaerere "to seek", to seek, combined with ex- (out).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient exquirere "to search out carefully", to search out carefully, from ex- and quaerere, with irregular past participle exquisitus.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s exquisite "extremely beautiful, delicate, and carefully made", settled as the English word for something extremely beautiful and carefully made.