のか - Particle "lamenting reflections on the preceding statement". What?


I've come across this sentence in my manga.

> そ そうか そういう疑いを持っているのか

It's actually fairly easy, but the particle at the end has confused me. I
thought it was the two particles `の` and `か`, but then I saw this in a
dictionary:

> のか - Particle - endorsing and questioning the preceding statement (sentence
> ending particle); lamenting reflections on the preceding statement (sentence
> ending particle)

That seems to fit, because it's at the end of the sentence, and he's
commenting on what another character said to themselves. But beyond that, I
have little idea of what this means. Is it actually a question particle
similar to か? When would you use this instead?




This `の` is called a formal noun, and has a very general meaning that can be
translated to English as 'the case', 'the fact', or 'the situation', and it
heads an appositive clause. It is the same `の` used in the `のだ` consruction.
It typically implies that the appositive clause is an explanation to the
previous context. It has pretty much similar implications that the English
`the case that ...` implies.

> ... **の** だ  
>  'It is **the case** that ... .'
>
> ... **の** で ...  
>  'Things being **the case** that ... , ... .'
>
> ... **の** か  
>  'Is it **the case** that ... ?'




This `の` is called a formal noun, and has a very general meaning that can be
translated to English as 'the case', 'the fact', or 'the situation', and it
heads an appositive clause. It is the same `の` used in the `のだ` consruction.
It typically implies that the appositive clause is an explanation to the
previous context. It has pretty much similar implications that the English
`the case that ...` implies.

> ... **の** だ  
>  'It is **the case** that ... .'
>
> ... **の** で ...  
>  'Things being **the case** that ... , ... .'
>
> ... **の** か  
>  'Is it **the case** that ... ?'

