interrogative

From Late Latin interrogātīvus.

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

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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 12337689, 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, 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.

interrogative

1. feminine singular of interrogatif

interrogative

1. inflected form of interrogativ

interrogative f pl

1. Feminine plural of adjective interrogativo.

• interrogatevi

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