quest

Where does the word "quest" come from? It comes from Latin quaerere, passing through Vulgar Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Quest’s story begins in Latin: quaerere meant “to seek.” The root of 'question', 'request' and 'conquest'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Vulgar Latin as questa. A searching, a seeking, from quaerere. From there it passed into Old French as queste by medieval. Carried into French for a search or a knightly adventure. It reached English by 1300s as quest. Settled as the English word for a long search for something important. Today, quest means a long or arduous search for something, especially an important goal.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient quaerere "to seek", the root of 'question', 'request' and 'conquest'.
2. Stage 2 · Vulgar Latin · medieval questa "a searching, a seeking", a searching, a seeking, from quaerere.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval queste "a search or a knightly adventure", carried into French for a search or a knightly adventure.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s quest "a long search for something important or difficult to find", settled as the English word for a long search for something important.