Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun pragmatics An order or
imperative phrasedobliquely as a question, such as "would you mind closing the window?"
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Blend of whimper and imperative. Coined by Jerrold Sadock in a 1970 essay.
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Examples
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whichbe commented on the word whimperative
A command or request phrased as a polite or indirect question. (From Double-Tongued Dictionary)
June 9, 2008