interrogative

comparative more interrogative · superlative most interrogative

1. grammarAsking or denoting a question.

   an interrogative phrase

   3 more examples

   an interrogative pronoun

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

   1877, William Dwight Whitney, Essentials of English Grammar for the Use of Schools, §470

   An interrogative particle ke is placed at the end of a question. […] The interrogative words are placed at the beginning of the sentence

   2021 October 5, Gessica Puccini, “Lang Belta: the Belter language from SYFY/Amazon’s The Expanse”, in Lingoblog

2. Pertaining to inquiry; questioning

   He took on an interrogative tone of voice.

   1 more example

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

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

plural interrogatives

1. grammarA word (pronoun, pronominal adjective, or adverb) implying interrogation, or used for asking a question: why, who, when, etc.

   When question words are used, it is not necessary to add the ke particle, as it is already embedded in the interrogative

   2021 October 5, Gessica Puccini, “Lang Belta: the Belter language from SYFY/Amazon’s The Expanse”, in Lingoblog

2. archaicmediaSynonym of question mark ⟨?⟩.

   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.

   1824, J. Johnson, Typographia

   1 more example

   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.

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

   Synonyms: question mark, question mark

3. rareA question; an interrogation.

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

   1819, Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose, section XII