A.T. Robertson Commentary Luke 15:26

"And he called to him one of the servants, and inquired what these things might be." — Luke 15:26 (ASV)

Servants (παιδων). Not δουλο (bondslaves) as in verse 22. The Greeks often used παις for servant like the Latin puer. It could be either a hired servant (μισθιος, verse 17) or slave (δουλος).

He inquired (επυνθανετο). Imperfect middle, inquired repeatedly and eagerly.

What these things might be (τ αν ειη ταυτα). Not "poor" Greek as Easton holds, but simply the form of the direct question retained in the indirect. See the direct form as the apodosis of a condition of the fourth class in Ac 17:18. In Ac 10:17 we have the construction with αν ειη of the direct retained in the indirect question. So also in Lu 1:62 See Robertson, Grammar, p. 1044.