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What does 'よ' do when placed after a single noun like '今'?

> 今よ

Would it be considered a question, like "Now?" ?
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2013-07-23T07:23:49.013
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What does '今よ' mean?
As for the meaning, it means just what よ always does as a sentence-final
particle... it emphasizes the sentence is intended to convey information to
the listener.

More important though is the fact that it is a sentence-final particle.

For some reason, the interjection `Now!`, said when you want someone to take a
(prearranged, mutually agreed) action right at that moment, doesn't seem to
work in Japanese with just the noun `今`. It needs to be a sentence like `今だ`
("[It, the time to act] is now"). A sentence-final particle achieves that.

The use of `よ` here in `今よ` is another way to make `今` into a sentence, and
which compared to `今だ` or `今だよ` has more of a feminine feel due to the
dropping of `だ`.

(Here we start getting into role language and the difference in usage of `だ`
and `よ` between genders in real life and fiction.)

> [Wiktionary](http://ja.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%82%88#.E5.8A.A9.E8.A9.9E):  
>  口語の終助詞。主体の意志・知識を主張する。 **だ あるいは です を省略してよを付けるのは、女性に使われる** が、現在では少ない _(at
> least in real life --Hyper)_ 。
>
>   * もうやめようよ。
>   * それは私のものよ。(女性的。現在では男女ともに「それは私のものだよ。」)
>
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> What does 'よ' do when placed after a **_single noun_** like '今'?

There is a usage which answers this question that is really different than the
answer you were probably expecting (and certainly this example), but I will
answer it anyway.

It is the `呼び掛け` usage, meant to call someone's/something's attention to what
you're saying. It translates to "Oh (you) 〜", or "Hey 〜" and usually
accompanies a request or command

>   * 神様 **よ** 、私の願いをかなえたまえ！ → O God, please answer my prayer!
>   * 迫害された人々 **よ** 、立ち上がって戦おう！ → (Hey) you oppressed people, stand up and
> fight!
>   * 雲 **よ** 、雨を降らせ！ → (Hey/O) Clouds, make it rain!
>   * 田中君 **よ** 、手をかしてくれないか → Hey Tanaka, help me out will ya?
>

Like I said, this doesn't relate to your example of `今よ`, but it applies to
the way you worded the question.
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「今よ」 is not a question. It's a female way of saying "Now!"
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2013-07-24T13:58:15.617
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