Question. Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Question

Definition note

Here are two senses of question:

A question is an illocutionary act that has a directive illocutionary point of attempting to get the addressee to supply information.
A question is a sentence type that has a form (labeled interrogative) typically used to express an illocutionary act with the directive illocutionary point mentioned above. It may be actually so used (as a direct illocution), or used rhetorically.

Example note

(English)

Here are some examples of sentences, ordered to illustrate the two senses of question above:

An illocutionary act that attempts to obtain information from an addressee

Tell me your name.
Give me your address.

2. Sentences with inverted word order or interrogative pro-forms

What’s your name?
Did you sleep well?

Bibliographic note 4

Page/s: 966

Source: Mish 1991

Mish, Frederick (editor). 1991.Webster's ninth new collegiate dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. 1,564 pages. 0877795088; indexed 0877795096; deluxe 087779510X.

Page/s: 234

Source: Larson 1984

Larson, Mildred L. 1984.Meaning-based translation: A guide to cross-language equivalence. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Page/s: 190

Source: Hartmann and Stork 1972

Hartmann, R.R.K., and F.C. Stork. 1972.Dictionary of language and linguistics. London: Applied Science.

Page/s: 254

Source: Crystal 1985

Crystal, David. 1985.A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 2nd edition. New York: Basil Blackwell.