interrogativoexclamativo

Interrogativoexclamativo, or interrogative-exclamative, refers to a linguistic phenomenon in which an utterance combines an interrogative form with exclamatory force. Such constructions typically involve interrogative words like what, how, when, where, how much, or why, but are used to convey surprise, emphasis, incredulity, or rhetorical stance rather than to seek information. The exclamatory effect is signaled by prosody, punctuation, or fixed expressions, and the sentence may be syntactically interrogative, exclamative, or a blend of both.

In many languages, especially Romance languages, interrogativoexclamatives are common in spoken and written discourse. They often appear with combined punctuation such as the use of both question marks and exclamation marks (for example, in Spanish ¿Qué dices?!). The same form can function as a genuine question in one context and as an exclamation in another; the intended meaning is frequently inferred from context and intonation rather than from a distinct grammatical mood.

Cross-linguistic patterns show that these constructions arise when question words appear in exclamatory discourse or when rising or falling intonation intensifies a question. They are used to express astonishment, admiration, or strong emotion, rather than to request new information.

Examples in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian illustrate the range: ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?) as a straightforward question; ¡Qué bien! (How good!/What a great thing!) as an exclamation; ¿Qué haces?! (What are you doing?!), an interrogative-exclamative with heightened force.