English word origin

Etymology of asken

From Middle English asken, axen, equivalent to ask + -en.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

verb

plural simple present of ask

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English asken, axen, equivalent to ask + -en.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionaskenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "asken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English asken"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ask",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "plural present"
      },
      "expansion": "ask + -en"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "asken",
      "asken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "axen",
      "axen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ask",
      "ask#English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_plural_present"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "plural simple present of ask"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "obsolete",
        "plural",
        "present"
      ],
      "recordId": "efb3ad993365dcaf493a80fbce8248b78342c1b4c68d899bf075c549f5b18b73",
      "rawRecordSha256": "11529548ad7a0a9a46a13b271fad9d4486816b4a38622875065dcf8df50da917",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1945492
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for asken →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YXNrZW4