Etymograph

English

research

Research comes from French rechercher ‘to examine closely’, and goes back to Old French recerchier ‘to seek, to look for’.

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400recerchier1‘to seek’
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentrechercher1‘to examine closely’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1747research1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English research
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1747, The Scots magazine: “The first step I took in this so necessary…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400recerchierWiktionary, English research‘to seek’
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentrechercherWiktionary, English research‘to examine closely’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1747researchWiktionary, English research. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1747, The Scots magazine: “The first step I took in this so necessary…”

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Today it means

noun Diligent inquiry or examination to seek or revise facts, principles, theories, applications, etc. (that are currently available, or that are familiar to oneself).

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “research”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old French recerchier / research