kérdjellel

Kérdjellel is a term used in speculative linguistics and conlang studies to denote a hypothetical class of interrogative constructions that combine an ordinary question form with markers indicating the speaker's intention to obtain a response or instruction. In this framework, a kérdjellel question carries both the propositional content of the inquiry and an illocutionary force that invites action or clarification. The concept remains theoretical and is not widely attested in natural languages.

Its name is a portmanteau of Hungarian morphemes often cited in discussions of constructional grammar: kérd-, relating to asking, and jellel, meaning with a mark or sign. As a theoretical label, kérdjellel is used to model pragmatic nuance in constructed languages and to explore how signalled intentions affect interpretation of questions.

In analyses, kérdjellel constructions are described as having two parts: a base interrogative and a response-oriented marker. They are discussed alongside markers of politeness, directive force, and evidentiality. While inspired by real-world questions and politeness strategies, the category remains a scholarly tool for illustrating possible interactions between form and illocution in artificial languages.

See also: Interrogative mood, Politeness strategies, Conlang linguistics, Pragmatics. References to kérdjellel appear primarily in theoretical discussions of conlang syntax and are not part of established historical grammars.