English Dictionary |
OPTATIVE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does optative mean?
• OPTATIVE (noun)
The noun OPTATIVE has 1 sense:
1. a mood (as in Greek or Sanskrit) that expresses a wish or hope; expressed in English by modal verbs
Familiarity information: OPTATIVE used as a noun is very rare.
• OPTATIVE (adjective)
The adjective OPTATIVE has 2 senses:
1. indicating an option or wish
2. relating to a mood of verbs in some languages
Familiarity information: OPTATIVE used as an adjective is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
A mood (as in Greek or Sanskrit) that expresses a wish or hope; expressed in English by modal verbs
Classified under:
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas
Synonyms:
optative; optative mood
Hypernyms ("optative" is a kind of...):
modality; mode; mood (verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker)
Domain category:
Sanskrit; Sanskritic language ((Hinduism) an ancient language of India (the language of the Vedas and of Hinduism); an official language of India although it is now used only for religious purposes)
Domain region:
Ellas; Greece; Hellenic Republic (a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Indicating an option or wish
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Pertainym:
option (one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen)
Derivation:
opt (select as an alternative over another)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Relating to a mood of verbs in some languages
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Context example:
optative verb endings
Domain category:
grammar (the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics))
Pertainym:
optative mood (a mood (as in Greek or Sanskrit) that expresses a wish or hope; expressed in English by modal verbs)
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