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Thread ID: 43784 2004-03-26 12:12:00 OT: what is it ¿ robsonde (120) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
225310 2004-03-26 12:12:00 ¿

what is this symbol called ?

why would you want one?
robsonde (120)
225311 2004-03-26 12:16:00 Greek?
(Well, all Greek to me.....)
Laura (43)
225312 2004-03-26 12:24:00 I bet someone asked you this on your site didn't they. :p

What is the url again?

I think this (www.linguistlist.org) might be what you are looking for. ;)
PoWa (203)
225313 2004-03-26 12:32:00 the question was not asked on my site, i just saw it on my cell[phone and go to thinking.....


as for the URL to my site....

I dont have hosting yet, the site is only up when i am online with 56K dial up :-(

robsonde.no-ip.com

for those who dont know about my site its called "the answer guy" , ask a question and i will try and find an answer.
robsonde (120)
225314 2004-03-26 13:55:00 In the Spanish language (and perhaps others) a question is written with the ¿ at the beginning and the ? at the end of the sentence.

¿Comprendez?

:)
Pollly (1416)
225315 2004-03-26 14:14:00 ¿Really? :P

I've always known this to be an Inverted Question Mark...

Noel Nosivad
Noel Nosivad (389)
225316 2004-03-26 20:28:00 Having a Spanish daughter-in-law I will confirm Polllys answer :)

Another character that I wasnt aware of for a very long time, and which explained the pronunciation is the cedilla under an 'r', ( I cant find it in the character map), as used in the Czech language, such as the names Jiri and Dovorak.
This gives the 'r' a 'sh' sound, but heavier than sh as in hush, more like a 'j' as in judgebut lighter.

Apologies to any Czech speakers who are probably ROFLing at my feeble attempt at written pronunciation.
Terry Porritt (14)
225317 2004-03-26 22:19:00 It could be this: sal.neoburn.net gerrypics (323)
225318 2004-03-27 02:53:00 It's not pronunciation the symbol affects in Spanish, it's the intonation. :D

It indicates that the sentence is a question, and the pitch of the speaker's voice rises towards the end.
Graham L (2)
225319 2004-03-27 03:10:00 But all New Zealanders end a sentence on a rising intonation whether they are asking a question or not, thus causing confusion to non English speaking listeners who then struggle to answer a non-existent question :)

On the other hand I have this theory that the rising intonation at the end of a New Zealanders sentence is a sign of insecurity, asking for confirmation of what has been said, going back to the days when NZ was much more isolated than now, and "New Chums' obviously knew so much more than the out of date colonials. :)

Out of date colonials???? Well who else in the world calls linens and cottons "Manchester", with stores having "Manchester" departments ???????????
(ROFLs till sides split)

I mean to say Manchester ceased to be the worlds cotton goods manufacturing centre years before I was born, ie back in the dark ages some time.

:D
Terry Porritt (14)
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