Vocative Definition
vŏkə-tĭv
adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or used in calling.
American Heritage
Designating, of, or in the case of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives used in direct address to indicate the person or thing addressed.
Webster's New World
noun
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.: “Bill” in “Bill, don't do that!”)
Webster's New World
The vocative case.
American Heritage
A word or phrase in this case.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Vocative
Noun
Singular:
vocative
Plural:
vocativesOrigin of Vocative
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Late Middle English, from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocativus (“calling"), from vocatus (“invocation"), from vocare (“to call"), from Proto-Indo-European *wek-, *wekÊ·-, *wokÊ·- (“give vocal utterance, speak"). See Latin vōx.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English vocatif from Old French from Latin vocātīvus (cāsus) vocative (case) from vocātus past participle of vocāre to call vocation
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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