Interrogatum

Interrogatum is a Latin term meaning “that which is to be asked” or “the thing questioned,” derived from interrogare, to question. In medieval and early modern Latin texts, the noun appears in neuter form and is commonly found in the related plural interrogata or interrogata et responsa, referring to sets of questions posed to a party in examinations, trials, or disputations.

In legal and ecclesiastical contexts, interrogatum denotes the prescribed questions prepared by authorities for witnesses, defendants, or candidates. The purpose of such interrogatories was to elicit standardized information or doctrinal positions. The respondent’s answers, or responsa, accompany the interrogata and help determine facts, beliefs, or compliance with rules.

In canon law and inquisitorial procedures, interrogata served to organize testimony and to ensure consistency across proceedings. In scholastic and rhetorical traditions, interrogata were used in disputations and catechetical settings as a method of instruction and debate.

Modern English usage rarely uses interrogatum directly. The closest contemporary term is interrogatories, which designates written questions in civil discovery and similar legal processes. The Latin term, however, remains encountered in historical, theological, or juristic writings, especially in descriptions of traditional examination methods or in discussions of Latin procedural language.

Overall, interrogatum refers to the form and content of questions prepared for examination, distinct from the spoken act of interrogation itself.