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This is a proposal to retire the word request in favor of ask.
Latin root. \”Request information\” → \”ask for information.\” Politeness is in tone, not vocabulary.
Your Vote
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I voted Yes on many Latinate retirements. This one, I vote No.
‘Ask’ is direct. ‘Request’ is dignifying. When you request something, you acknowledge the other person’s autonomy to say no. ‘Ask’ can be a demand. ‘Request’ is always optional.
That politeness register is worth keeping.
I’m voting No because “request” and “ask” have different registers.
“I ask you to leave” — direct, personal, confrontational.
“I request that you leave” — formal, procedural, distancing.These are not the same tone. Retiring “request” would force English to lose a useful tool for politeness and formality. Keep it.
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