Find the word definition

Crossword clues for vocative

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Vocative

Vocative \Voc"a*tive\, a. [L. vocativus, fr. vocare to call.] Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling; specifically (Gram.), used in address; appellative; -- said of that case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective, in which a person or thing is addressed; as, Domine, O Lord.

Vocative

Vocative \Voc"a*tive\, n. [L. vocativus (sc. casus): cf. F. vocatif.] (Gram.) The vocative case.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
vocative

early 15c., "showing the person or thing spoken to," from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocativus (casus) "(case of) calling," from vocatus, past participle of vocare "to call" (see voice (n.)). The Latin is a translation of Greek kletike ptosis, from kletikos "related to calling," from kletos "called." As a noun from 1520s.

Wiktionary
vocative

a. 1 Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation. 2 (context grammar English) Used in address; appellative; — said of that case or form of the noun, pronoun, or adjective, in which a person or thing is addressed; as, ''Domine'', O Lord. n. (context grammar English) The vocative case

WordNet
vocative

adj. relating to a case used in some languages; "vocative verb endings"

vocative

n. the case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed [syn: vocative case]

Wikipedia

Usage examples of "vocative".

As she felt the pro vocative flicker of his tongue across the puckered rose of her nipples a little moan of surprise and longing es caped her.

A scholarly reader wrote to point out that I had made this Goth use the nominative case where he should have used the vocative!