interjective

Interjective is an adjective used in linguistics to describe elements related to interjections, or exclamatory expressions, rather than to propositional content. An interjective can refer to a word, phrase, or particle that conveys emotion, reaction, or stance. The term is often used to categorize a class of utterances that function outside the main syntactic proposition of a sentence.

In practice, interjectives include standalone exclamations such as Oh!, Wow!, or Alas, as well as less discrete forms that still express affective meaning. They can be onomatopoeic or lexically conventional, and in many languages there are dedicated interjective particles that serve this communicative purpose. In some grammatical traditions, interjections are treated as a distinct part of speech; in others, they are grouped with exclamatives or discourse particles. Regardless of classification, interjectives typically have limited or no syntactic integration with the surrounding clause and often carry distinctive prosody and punctuation.

Functions of interjective forms include expressing emotion (surprise, pain, joy), signaling attention, managing social interaction, or signaling stance toward the content or listener. They are frequently prosodically prominent, may appear in isolation or within larger utterances, and often rely on punctuation or intonation in writing and speech.

Cross-linguistic variation is common: most languages have some form of interjective expressions, though their form, frequency, and syntactic behavior vary. Interjective forms contribute to discourse by conveying affect, stance, and engagement beyond propositional information. See also interjection, exclamation, exclamative.