percontation

[prettygoodword]

percontation (per-kun-TAY-shuhn) - (rare, obs.) n., a question which cannot properly be given a one-word answer like “yes” or “no”.


"Have you stopped beating your spouse?" This is, in interrogation contexts where you've been instructed to only answer yes or no, an unfair tactic. Also, even more rare and obsolete, the act or process of questioning. That latter is closer to the original Latin meaning of percontatiō, past participle of percontor, to interrogate/inquire, from per, by means of, + contus, pole/pike (from Ancient Greek kontos, pike/goad, from PIE *ḱent-, to prick/a point).

---L.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

Ooh, of course there's a word for it, but I didn't know! Useful (if I can remember).

[prettygoodword]

That parenthetical is the kicker.