Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

whimperative

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: whim-per-a-tive
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An order or imperative phrased obliquely as a question, such as "would you mind closing the window?"

Example Sentences

"Since whimperatives look like questions, the lowest hypersentence must be interrogative."
"We see this in the way that whimperatives use pro forma openings like Can you rather than other wordings with the same meaning, such as Are you capable of passing the salt?"

Etymology

Blend of whimper + imperative. Coined by Jerrold Sadock in a 1970 essay.

Inflected Forms

whimperatives (plural)

Questions

What does whimperative mean?: An order or imperative phrased obliquely as a question, such as "would you mind closing the window?"
Where does whimperative come from?: Blend of whimper + imperative. Coined by Jerrold Sadock in a 1970 essay.

How to pronounce whimperative

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