adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or vocation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
vocative
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American: väk'ətĭv
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General-American: vōk'ətĭv
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General-American: /ˈvɑkətɪv/
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General-American: /ˈvoʊkətɪv/
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Received-Pronunciation: vŏk'ətĭv
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvɒkətɪv/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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/ˈvakətɪv/ Dublin
adj
Meaning 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
- 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".
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
The vocative case
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A word in the vocative case
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A vocative expression
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Something said to (or as though to) a particular person or thing; an entreaty, an invocation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 7
relating to a case used in some languages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- vocative verb endings
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
the case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vocative case
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: oblique, oblique case
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
44 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: kutsumuksellinen — of or pertaining to calling
- Finnish: kutsumus- — of or pertaining to calling
- French: vocationnel — of or pertaining to calling
- Georgian: წოდებითი (c̣odebiti) — of or pertaining to calling
- Georgian: მოწოდებითი (moc̣odebiti) — of or pertaining to calling
- German: aufrufend — of or pertaining to calling
- Greek: κλητικός (klitikós) — of or pertaining to calling
- Hindi: संबोधित (sambodhit) — of or pertaining to calling
- Japanese: 天職の (tenshoku no) — of or pertaining to calling
- Latin: vocātīvus — of or pertaining to calling
- Portuguese: vocativo — of or pertaining to calling
- Russian: призыва́ющий (prizyvájuščij) — of or pertaining to calling
- Russian: зову́щий (zovúščij) — of or pertaining to calling
- Arabic: نِدَاء (nidāʔ) — grammar: used in address
- Belarusian: клі́чны (klíčny) — grammar: used in address
- Bulgarian: зва́телен (zvátelen) — grammar: used in address
- Catalan: vocatiu — grammar: used in address
- Czech: vokativní — grammar: used in address
- Dutch: vocatief — grammar: used in address
- Esperanto: vokativo — grammar: used in address
- Finnish: vokatiivinen — grammar: used in address
- French: vocatif — grammar: used in address
- Galician: vocativo — grammar: used in address
- Georgian: წოდებითი (c̣odebiti) — grammar: used in address
- German: vokativ — grammar: used in address
- Greek: κλητικός (klitikós) — grammar: used in address
- Ancient Greek: κλητικός (klētikós) — grammar: used in address
- Hindi: संबोधित (sambodhit) — grammar: used in address
- Hungarian: megszólító — grammar: used in address
- Irish: gairmeach — grammar: used in address
- Japanese: 呼格の (kokaku no) — grammar: used in address
- Latin: vocātīvus — grammar: used in address
- Macedonian: вокатив (vokativ) — grammar: used in address
- Polish: wołacz — grammar: used in address
- Portuguese: vocativo — grammar: used in address
- Russian: зва́тельный (zvátelʹnyj) — grammar: used in address
- Scottish Gaelic: gairmeach — grammar: used in address
- Serbo-Croatian: vokativan — grammar: used in address
- Slovak: vokatívny — grammar: used in address
- Spanish: vocativo — grammar: used in address
- Swedish: vokativ — grammar: used in address
- Ukrainian: кли́чний (klýčnyj) — grammar: used in address
- Welsh: cyfarchol — grammar: used in address
- French: apostrophe — a vocative expression
Real reading context