vocatively

Variant of vocative

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 © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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