interrobang

== English == === Etymology === A blend of French (point d')interrogation (“question mark”) or the equivalent term in another Romance language + bang (“exclamation mark, exclamation point”), coined in a 1962 article in the journal TYPEtalks by American advertising executive Martin Kiehra Speckter (1915–1988), who invented the symbol. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪnˈtɛ.ɹəʊˌbæŋ/ (General American) enPR: ĭn.tĕrʹə.băng', IPA(key): /ɪnˈtɛ.ɹəˌbæŋ/ (Canada) IPA(key): /ɪnˈtɛ.ɹɔˌbæŋ/ (Malaysia (especially as the proscriptional usage of a verb) IPA(key): [ɪnˈtə.ɹəˌbæŋ] Hyphenation: in‧ter‧ro‧bang === Noun === interrobang (plural interrobangs) The nonstandard punctuation mark ⟨‽⟩ (a combination of ⟨?⟩ and ⟨!⟩), which may be used at the end of a sentence to express excitement or disbelief, or to indicate that it is a rhetorical question. [from 1962.] (rare) A combination of a question mark and an exclamation mark; ⟨!?⟩ or ⟨?!⟩. ==== Alternative forms ==== interabang ==== Coordinate terms ==== !? ?! ‽ ==== Derived terms ==== gnaborretni inverted interrobang ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== Punctuation === Verb === interrobang (third-person singular simple present interrobangs, present participle interrobanging, simple past and past participle interrobanged) (chiefly humorous) To exclaim and question at the same time. For more quotations using this term, see Citations:interrobang. === References === Michael Quinion (created April 7, 2001, last updated April 3, 2010), “Interrobang”, in World Wide Words. === Further reading === interrobang on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === gnaborretni