ascian

• ācsian, āxian, acsiġan, æscian, æxian, axian, axiġan, axiġean, āhsian, ahsian

From Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːs.ki.ɑn/

āscian

1. to ask (+ genitive a question) (+ accusative a person) (+ genitive about something)
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy:

     Ac ānes þinges iċ þē wolde ǣrest āscian.

     But I wanted to ask you one thing first.

   • late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History:

     “Mīn fæder, mōt iċ þē āwihtes āscian?” Cwæþ hē, “Āsca þæs þe þū wille.”

     “My father, can I ask you something?”
     He said, “Ask whatever you want.”

2. to demand
3. to learn about by asking

• The word meaning to ask for something is biddan.
• When asking "to ask", the thing being asked about, or the question being asked, is usually put in the genitive case, and the person being asked in the accusative case. Putting the thing being asked about in the accusative, and the person being asked in the dative is also attested. Marking the thing being asked about with a preposition like be or æfter is also common.

• friġnan

• āscung
• ġeāscian

• Middle English: askien, axen, aschen, eskien, eschen, aishen
  • English: ask, aks, ax
    • Sranan Tongo: aksi
  • Scots: ask, as, ax