interrogative

From Late Latin interrogātīvus.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.təˈɹɒɡ.ə.tɪv/

  • Audio (Received Pronunciation):

    (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.təˈɹɑ.ɡə.tɪv/, [ˌɪn.təˈɹɑ.ɡə.ɾɪv]

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɪn.təˈɹɔɡ.ə.tɪv/, [ˌɪn.təˈɹɔɡ.ə.ɾɪv]

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.

• examining
• inquiring
• investigative

• assertoric
• imperative

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, section XII:

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

• (punctuation mark): See question mark

• interrogative-point

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

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

• Audio:

  (file)

interrogative f sg

1. feminine singular of interrogatif

• Audio:

  (file)

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

interrogative f pl

1. feminine plural of interrogativo

• interrogatevi, reintegrativo, trigenerativo

From interrogātīvus (“interrogative”).

interrogātīvē (comparative interrogātīvius, superlative interrogātīvissimē)

1. interrogatively

   Synonym: interroganter

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