interpellation

English

Etymology

From Middle French interpellation, from Latin interpellātiō; equivalent to interpellate +‎ -ion or interpel +‎ -ation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɪntɚpɛˈleɪʃən/, /ɪnˌtɚ-/, /-pə-/
• Homophone: interpolation (sometimes)

Noun

interpellation (countable and uncountable, plural interpellations)

1. (politics) The act of interpellating (questioning); the period in which government officials are questioned about and explain an act, a policy or a point raised during a debate.
   • 1975, Lucy S. Dawidowicz, The War Against the Jews 1933-1945:

     While the petition was circulating, a Progressive deputy asked the Minister of the Interior what the Prussian government intended to do about it. The interpellation was intended to elicit a condemnation, but the minister’s pro forma reply that the government did not intend to abrogate Jewish rights was seen by the petitioners as an encouraging sign.

2. (philosophy) The act of interpellating: the act of identification.
3. The act of interpelling: interruption.

Translations

formal political procedure

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 質詢 / 质询 (zh) (zhìxún)

• Dutch: interpellatie (nl) f
• Finnish: välikysymys (fi)
• French: interpellation (fr) f
• German: Interpellation (de) f, Große Anfrage f, Kleine Anfrage f
• Greek: επερώτηση (el) f (eperótisi)
• Indonesian: interpelasi (id)
• Irish: forghairm f
• Italian: interrogazione (it)
• Polish: interpelacja (pl) f
• Romanian: interpelare (ro) f

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin interpellātiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.tɛʁ.pɛ.la.sjɔ̃/ ~ /ɛ̃.tɛʁ.pe.la.sjɔ̃/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Noun

interpellation f (plural interpellations)

1. hailing, calling out
2. questioning; heckling
3. (politics) interpellation, questioning
4. (law enforcement) (an instance of) questioning

Further reading

• “interpellation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012