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Origin and history of examine

examine(v.)

c. 1300, "put (someone) to question in regard to knowledge, competence, or skill, inquire into qualifications or capabilities;" mid-14c., "inspect or survey (something) carefully, scrutinize, view or observe in all aspects with the purpose of forming a correct opinion or judgment," from Old French examiner "interrogate, question, torture," from Latin examinare "to test or try; consider, ponder," literally "to weigh," from examen "a means of weighing or testing," probably ultimately from exigere "demand, require, enforce," literally "to drive or force out," also "to finish, measure," from ex "out" (see ex-) + agere "to set in motion, drive, drive forward; to do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). Legal sense of "question or hear (a witness in court)" is from early 15c. Related: Examined; examining.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to examine

cross-examine(n.)

"examine a witness (by the other side) to 'check' the effects of previous questioning," 1660s, from cross (adv.) in the sense "proceeding from an adverse party by way of reciprocal contest" + examine. Related: Cross-examination (1746).

essay(n.)

1590s, "trial, attempt, endeavor," also "short, discursive literary composition" (first attested in writings of Francis Bacon, probably in imitation of Montaigne), from French essai "trial, attempt, essay" (in Old French from 12c.), from Late Latin exagium "a weighing, a weight," from Latin exigere "drive out; require, exact; examine, try, test," from ex "out" (see ex-) + agere "to set in motion, drive" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move") apparently meaning here "to weigh." The suggestion is of unpolished writing. Compare assay, also examine.

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Trends of examine

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

see
Middle English sēn, from Old English seon (Anglian sean) "be or become aware of by means of the eye; look, behold;" also "perceive mentally, understand; experience; visit (a place); inspect" (contracted class V strong verb; past tense seah, past participle sewen), from Proto-Germ
probe
early 15c., "slender, flexible rod for exploring the conditions of wounds or other cavities in the body," also "a medical examination," from Medieval Latin proba "examination," in Late Latin "a test, proof," from Latin probare "show, demonstrate; test, inspect; judge by trial" (s
test
late 14c., "small vessel used in assaying precious metals," from Old French test, from Latin testum "earthen pot," related to testa "piece of burned clay, earthen pot, shell" (see tete). Sense of "trial or examination to determine the correctness of something" is recorded from 15
discuss
late 14c., discussen, "to examine, investigate," from Latin discuss-, past participle stem of discutere "to dash to pieces..., agitate, strike or shake apart," in Late Latin and Medieval Latin also "to discuss, examine, investigate," from dis- "apart...Meaning "examine by argument, debate," the usual modern sense, is from mid-15c. (implied in discussing)....from "smash apart" to "scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate, examine...
analyze
Of literature, "examine critically to get the essence of," from 1610s; the meaning in chemistry ("resolve a compound into...The general sense of "to examine closely" dates from 1809; the psychological sense is by 1909....
canvass
From "toss in a canvas sheet for the purpose of sifting" the meaning was extended figuratively to "shake out, examine carefully...Compare Old French canabasser "to examine carefully," literally "to sift through canvas."...
explore
1580s, "to investigate, examine," a back-formation from exploration, or else from French explorer (16c.), from Latin explorare..."investigate, search out, examine, explore," said to be originally a hunters' term meaning "set up a loud cry," from ex...
search
c. 1300, serchen, "go through and examine carefully and in detail" (transitive), from Old French cerchier "to search" (12c., Modern French chercher), from Latin circare "go about, wander, traverse," in Late Latin "to wander hither and thither, go round, explore," from circus "cir
chaser
c. 1300, "horse trained for chasing," agent noun from chase (v.), probably in some cases from Old French chaceor "huntsman, hunter." The meaning "water or mild beverage taken after a strong drink" is by 1894, U.S. colloquial. French had chasse (from chasser "to chase") "a drink o
query
1530s, quaere "a question," from Latin quaere "to ask, inquire," "much used as a marginal note or memorandum to indicate a question or doubt, and hence taken as a noun" [Century Dictionary], second person singular imperative of quaerere "to seek, look for; strive, endeavor, striv

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