interrogativ

Interrogativ is a linguistic term referring to the set of elements and constructions used to form questions. It covers interrogative words, also called question words (such as who, what, where, when, why, and how), and the related pronouns, adverbs, and particles that signal a question. In many grammars, interrogativ also denotes the grammatical means by which a question is marked, including word order, morphology, and intonation.

Interrogative words function as the central tools for information requests. They can act as pronouns, determiners, or adverbs within a clause. Frequently they trigger syntactic processes such as wh-movement, where the interrogative word appears at the front of the sentence, as in What did you see? Not all languages rely on movement; some use fixed word order, dependent particles, or intonation to indicate a question.

There are several common question types within interrogativ systems. Wh-questions involve interrogative pronouns or adverbs (What, Who, Where). Yes–no questions form a query without a wh-word, typically using a question intonation, auxiliary inversion in many languages, or particles. Alternative questions present options (Is it A or B?). Tag questions attach a short interrogative tag to a declarative clause (You’re coming, aren’t you?).

Cross-linguistic variation is wide. Some languages use dedicated interrogative moods or particles, such as question particles or est-ce que constructions; others rely on intonation alone. The historical development of interrogativ systems shows substantial diversity, with some features highly grammaticalized and others primarily prosodic.

See also: Interrogative pronouns, Interrogative adverbs, Yes–no question, Wh-movement.