interrogative

English

Etymology

From Late Latin interrogātīvus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.təˈɹɒ.ɡə.tɪv/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

Adjective

interrogative

1. (grammar) Asking or denoting a question: as, an interrogative phrase, pronoun, or point.
   • 1877: William Dwight Whitney, Essentials of English Grammar for the Use of Schools §470

     The regular place of the interrogative word, of whatever kind, is at the beginning of the sentence, or as near it as possible.

2. Pertaining to inquiry; questioning

   He took on an interrogative tone of voice.

   • 1847, Charles Sealsfield, Rambleton: A Romance of Fashionable Life in New-York during the Great Speculation of 1836, →OCLC, page 127:

     Thus speaking, the good man regarded his lady with an interrogative look. "I do n't know, dear!" she replied kindly, and sighing again.

Synonyms

• examining
• inquiring
• investigative

Coordinate terms

• assertoric
• imperative

Derived terms

• interrogative accent
• interrogative judgement
• interrogatively
• interrogative pronoun
• nterrogative adjective

 

Translations

asking or denoting a question

• Arabic: اِسْتِفْهَامِيّ‎ (istifhāmiyy)
• Belarusian: пыта́льны (pytálʹny), запыта́льны (zapytálʹny)
• Bulgarian: въпроси́телен (bg) (vǎprosítelen)
• Catalan: interrogatiu
• Czech: tázací
• Dutch: vragend (nl)
• Finnish: interrogatiivinen (fi)
• French: interrogatif (fr)
• Galician: interrogativo
• German: Frage- (de), interrogativ (de), fragend (de)
• Greek: ερωτηματικός (el) (erotimatikós)

  Ancient Greek: ἐρωτηματικός m (erōtēmatikós)

• Hungarian: kérdő (hu)
• Italian: interrogativo (it)
• Maori: tūpātai, kupu pātai
• Old English: āxiġendlīċ
• Polish: pytający (pl)
• Portuguese: interrogativo (pt)
• Russian: вопроси́тельный (ru) (voprosítelʹnyj)
• Spanish: interrogativo (es)
• Tagalog: patanong
• Ukrainian: пита́льний (pytálʹnyj), запита́льний (zapytálʹnyj)
• Vietnamese: nghi vấn (vi)

Noun

interrogative (plural interrogatives)

1. (grammar) A word (pronoun, pronominal adjective, or adverb) implying interrogation, or used for asking a question: why, who, when, etc.
2. (typography, archaic) Synonym of question mark ⟨?⟩.
   • 1824, J. Johnson, Typographia:

     There be five manner of points and divisions most used among cunning men; the which if they be well used, make the sentence very light and easy to be understood, both to the reader and hearer: and they be these, virgil,—come,—parenthesis,—plain point,—interrogative.

   • 1842, F. Francillon, An Essay on Punctuation, page 9:

     Whoever introduced the several points, it seems that a full-point, a point called come, answering to our colon-point, a point called virgil answering to our comma-point, the parenthesis-points and interrogative-point, were used at the close of the fourteenth, or beginning of the fifteenth century.

3. (rare) A question; an interrogation.
   • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose, xii:

     "Who are you, sir, and what is your business?" demanded the Marquis... "That is a fair interrogative, my lord," answered Dalgetty.

Synonyms

• (punctuation mark): See question mark

Derived terms

• interrogative-point

Related terms

• interrogate
• interrogatedness
• interrogatee
• interrogation
• interrogator
• interrogatory
• redditive (grammar)

 

Translations

a word implying interrogation

• Arabic: أَدَاة اِسْتِفْهَام‎ f (ʔadā(t) istifhām)
• Dutch: vraagwoord (nl), interrogatief (nl)
• Finnish: kysymyssana, interrogatiivi
• Maori: tūpātai, kupu pātai
• Norman: tchestchion f
• Spanish: interrogativo (es) m
• Swedish: frågeord n

a question

• Dutch: vraag (nl)
• Finnish: kysymys (fi)
• Italian: interrogativo (it)

References

• “interrogative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.tɛ.ʁɔ.ɡa.tiv/, /ɛ̃.te.ʁɔ.ɡa.tiv/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

interrogative f sg

1. feminine singular of interrogatif

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

interrogative

1. inflection of interrogativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Adjective

interrogative f pl

1. feminine plural of interrogativo

Anagrams

• interrogatevi, reintegrativo, trigenerativo

Latin

Etymology

From interrogātīvus (“interrogative”).

Adverb

interrogātīvē (comparative interrogātīvius, superlative interrogātīvissimē)

1. interrogatively

   Synonym: interroganter

Related terms

• interrogāmentum
• interroganter
• interrogātiō
• interrogātiuncula
• interrogātīvus
• interrogātor
• interrogātōrius
• interrogō

 

References

• “interrogative”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press