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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

vocative en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • vŏk'ətĭv (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈvoʊkətɪv/ (General-American)
  • /ˈvakətɪv/ Dublin
  • väk'ətĭv (General-American)
  • /ˈvɒkətɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • vōk'ətĭv (General-American)
  • /ˈvɑkətɪv/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Late Middle English [Term?], borrowed from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocātīvus (“for calling”); a calque of Ancient Greek κλητῐκή (klētĭkḗ, “for calling; vocative case”) – from vocāre (“to call”), from Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-, o-grade of *wekʷ- (“give vocal utterance, speak”). See Latin vōx.

Meanings

  1. Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation.
  2. Used in address; appellative; said of the case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective by which a person or thing is addressed.
    • In English, the vocative may be indicated by an addressee–address separation comma, or by the particle O, as in "What is the matter, sir?", "Mother, listen!", or "O Lord".

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most vocative Degree=Sup lexicographic
more vocative Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

vocatively

Relateds

vocal

Translations (44)

fi vokatiivinen (grammar: used in address) · ka მოწოდებითი (of or pertaining to calling) · nl vocatief (grammar: used in address) · es vocativo (grammar: used in address) · ar نِدَاء (grammar: used in address) · la vocātīvus (grammar: used in address) · gd gairmeach (grammar: used in address) · sk vokatívny (grammar: used in address) · sh vokativan (grammar: used in address) · ru зва́тельный (grammar: used in address) · de vokativ (grammar: used in address) · de aufrufend (of or pertaining to calling) · ru призыва́ющий (of or pertaining to calling) · fi kutsumuksellinen (of or pertaining to calling) · cs vokativní (grammar: used in address) · hi संबोधित (of or pertaining to calling) · fi kutsumus- (of or pertaining to calling) · ja 呼格の (grammar: used in address) · cy cyfarchol (grammar: used in address) · ga gairmeach (grammar: used in address) · grc κλητικός (grammar: used in address) · hi संबोधित (grammar: used in address) · be клі́чны (grammar: used in address) · pl wołacz (grammar: used in address) · cmn 呼格 (grammar: used in address) · fr vocationnel (of or pertaining to calling) · el κλητικός (grammar: used in address) · sv vokativ (grammar: used in address) · la vocātīvus (of or pertaining to calling) · ka წოდებითი (of or pertaining to calling) · ru зову́щий (of or pertaining to calling) · uk кли́чний (grammar: used in address) · pt vocativo (grammar: used in address) · fr vocatif (grammar: used in address) · ja 天職の (of or pertaining to calling) · hu megszólító (grammar: used in address) · ka წოდებითი (grammar: used in address) · ca vocatiu (grammar: used in address) · bg зва́телен (grammar: used in address) · pt vocativo (of or pertaining to calling) · eo vokativo (grammar: used in address) · el κλητικός (of or pertaining to calling) · mk вокатив (grammar: used in address) · gl vocativo (grammar: used in address)

vocative en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • vŏk'ətĭv (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈvoʊkətɪv/ (General-American)
  • /ˈvakətɪv/ Dublin
  • väk'ətĭv (General-American)
  • /ˈvɒkətɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • vōk'ətĭv (General-American)
  • /ˈvɑkətɪv/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Late Middle English [Term?], borrowed from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocātīvus (“for calling”); a calque of Ancient Greek κλητῐκή (klētĭkḗ, “for calling; vocative case”) – from vocāre (“to call”), from Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-, o-grade of *wekʷ- (“give vocal utterance, speak”). See Latin vōx.

Meanings

  1. The vocative case
  2. A word in the vocative case
  3. A vocative expression
  4. (rare) Something said to (or as though to) a particular person or thing; an entreaty, an invocation.
    • [T]he two latter will hardly come neither, if they think it will be to hear your whining vocatives. 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter L”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
vocatives Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

interjection · vocative expressions (Fiction essentials) · Black Cat Editorial Services (Fiction essentials)

Translations (1)

fr apostrophe (a vocative expression)