vocative
- noun
- /ˈvoʊkətɪv/
- Specialized
:
vocativo
- In the phrase 'Hey, John, how are you?', 'John' is in the vocative case as it directly names the person being spoken to.
Examples
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In Latin, the vocative case is used to directly address a person, such as saying 'O teacher' when calling your instructor.
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Furthermore, the translation of category I can be interpreted as that of category II, because whether the noun in the vocative is a subject or an object is not shown: the only difference in the translation of I and II is at the very end of -yo (I) (indicating vocative) and -wo (indicating an object).
Academic text (2006) -
When writing a letter, you often begin with the vocative, like 'Dear friend,' to directly address the recipient.
Synonyms
A noun form that you use when you speak directly to someone
A form used when speaking to someone that shows respect or their gender
Compounds
Surface Forms
Morphology
vocative = voc + ive
Formed from the Latin combining form 'voc-' (call) plus the adjectival suffix '-ive'; the suffix is productive in English but the root 'voc-' is a non-standalone combining form unfamiliar to many learners, so the meaning is only partly guessable.
Etymology
The word vocative comes from the Latin root vocare 'to call'. The vocative is the form used when you 'call' someone by name or speak to them directly, which is the same idea behind vocation ('a calling') and vocal ('voice').
