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vocative definition

voca·tive (väk′ə tiv)

adjective

Gram. designating, of, or in the case of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives used in direct address to indicate the person or thing addressed

Etymology: ME vocatif < OFr or L: OFr < L vocativus < pp. of vocare, to call < vox, voice

noun

  1. the vocative case: this case is expressed by a change in form in languages such as Latin and by word order and intonation in English (Ex.: Latin “Tite” for “Titus”; English “Bill” in “Bill, don't do that!”)
  2. a word or phrase in this case

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Japanese vocative suffixes395 years ago

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