English

Adjective

quæstioning

1. Archaic spelling of questioning.
   • 1639, May 21^st – June 25^th, Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston, diary ; reprinted in:
   • 1911, George Morison Paul [ed.], David Hay Fleming [ed.], and James D. Ogilvie [ed.], Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society), page 372 :

     Finding the Lords Sprit coming, I went in to the old high gallerie, and thair for ane long houre I got extreame great libertie of pouring out my verry heart in Gods bosome with a sueat schoure of melting tears and sobs, and with ane long pouerful intercourse betuixt the Sprit of God and my saule, ever quæstioning of the Lord quhat he demanded and requyred of me ; and, at every poynt and particle quhilk the Sprit condiscended on al or mor nor ane hundreth particulars, my saule ever echoed back unto him with ane earnest petition for every point that he craived ; as quhen he instanced that I sould seek his face, setle my heart, and fixe my delight on the light of his countenance, consecrat saule and body to his service, glorifie him in my lyfe and death, walk in him, with, and befor him, interteany the the motions, follou the directions, beleive the consolations, feare the checks of his Sprit, submit my will, familie, chyld, staite, naime, calling, absolutly to his cutting and carving thairupon, to grou in union and comunion with him ; and so forth, for half ane houre, my saule rebounded with great fervencie ane particular petition to every particular demand, as, ‘O my God, thou knoues my inabilitie, unworthines, guiltines, and gracelesnes ; O Lord, I desyre to seekthy face, maik me seek it and find it ; I desyre to consecrat and imploy my saule in thy service bot I cannot ; O Lord thou, quho only can doe it, doe it for Chryst Jesus saik.’

Verb

quæstioning

1. present participle of quæstion
   • 1630–1650, details of original source not known; reprinted in:
   • 1965, Perry Miller, Orthodoxy in Massachusetts, 1630–1650 (Peter Smith), page 219:

     Ye Generall Cort . . . is ye chiefe civill power of this common wealth, & may act in all things belonging to such a power concerning counsell & iudicature, namely, for making lawes, receiving appeales, quæstioning & sentencing ye highest officers, & consulting about ye weightiest affaires of this commonwealth, & in all other cases which in their wisdome they thinke fit to take cognisance of.

   • 1770, March 20^th, 2 o’clock p.m., Edward Gibbon, private letter to his stepmother^ʀ ; reprinted in:
   • 1956, Jane Elizabeth Norton [ed.], The Letters of Edward Gibbon: Vol. 1–3, page 258 (Cassell):

     The debate I mentioned was upon the Remonstrance: it was carried 284, against 127 that quæstioning the legal existence of Parliament is highly unwarrantable, tending to sedition and an abuse of the right of petitioning.

   • 1876, E. Eckstein and Sophie Frances Fane Veitch, The visit to the cells, page 34:

     Don’t stand quæstioning […]