upside-down question mark

[mikko]

Spanish speakers (when they're, erm, writing) use an upside-down question mark at the beginning of a sentence (in addition to the one at the end) to really ram home the fact that the sentence is indeed a question. What the hell is this symbol called in English?

[Quizmonster]

If you click here, that will link you to the web-page of a 'Learn Spanish' site. According to them, the symbol is actually called - in Spanish, obviously! - "an upside-down question mark". So, you seem to have got the answer already.

[mikko]

Fair doos, Quizmonster - your link bears out your statement. However, I can't believe it doesn't have a name! How about its Spanish name? Anyone?

[Hippy]

El quandro inverto?

[Phantaxus]

'

[mikko]

OK. No-one knows. Hippy wins "best comedy answer".

[firefly]

Surely it should just be a question mark, after all it helps mark the question.

[honkytonkman]

My Spanish friend has emailed me this: "It is called: "signo de interrogacion" and this is the same name for both of them � for the one that you write at the beginning and the one at the end. " So even to the Spanish it's just 'a question mark'.