Translingual

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Punctuation mark

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(?)

  1. Marks a dubious statement / spelling / meaning.
    • 1998, Frans de Waal, “Two Power Takeovers”, in Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes[1], Revised edition (in English), Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, Natural History/Politics, page 100:
      Once again Yeroen is the aggressor, provoked by Luit's displays. Together with Gorilla and Puist, Yeroen chases Luit at full speed, screaming as he runs. Luit is also screaming. Just when Yeroen succeeds in catching up with Luit, Yeroen accidentally (?) goes head over heels. After this the chase continues but ends abruptly when both males flee up a tree and the two females do not follow.
  2. Indicates confusion.
    • 1892 [1891 January], “Promotion of an Officer on the Russian Frontier”, in Translation of the Peking Gazette for 1891[2] (in English), Shanghai, →OCLC, page 18, column 1:
      The provincial capital of Heilungchiang closely adjoins the Russian frontier town of Hailanpao (?) and international questions are constantly arising. At the request of the Governor the Tsungli Yamên appointed Keng Shan, a pupil of the Tung-wên-kuan, with nominal rank as a second class secretary of a board, to co-operate with the Deputy Lieutenant-General stationed there in the management of international affairs.
  3. (especially closed captioning) Indicates a question asked with a sarcastic tone of voice.
    Is the Pope Catholic(?)

See also

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