percontatorial

English

Etymology

First attested in 1853; formed from Latin percontātōrius (from percontōr (“to inquire”)) + -al.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: pərkŏntətōʹrĭəl, IPA^(key): /pəkɒntəˈtɔəɹɪəl/

Adjective

percontatorial (comparative more percontatorial, superlative most percontatorial)

1. (obsolete) Given to or characterised by the asking of questions, especially open-ended ones (percontations).

Related terms

• percontation
• percontative
• punctus percontativus (rhetorical question mark)

References

• “Percontatorial, a.” listed as a subentry of “Percontation” on page 676 of volume 7 (O–P) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1909]
    Percontation…So Percontatorial (pəɹkǫntătōᵊ·riăl) a., given to, or pertaining to, questioning; inquisitive. […] 1853 Thackeray In United States, This percontatorial foible has grown with the national growth. 1861 Sat. Rev. 18 May 496 The forms of the house, on putting a question, do not admit the percontatorial process to be continued.
• “percontatorial, a.” listed as a subentry of “percontation” in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]
• “† percontatorial, adj.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [3rd ed., September 2005]