English Explanatory Dictionary

optative

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Expressing a wish or a choice.
  2. Related or pertaining to the optative mood.
noun
  1. A mood of verbs found in some languages (e.g. Sanskrit, Old Prussian, Tamil, and Ancient Greek, but not English), used to express a wish.
  2. A verb or expression in the optative mood.

Pronunciation

/ˈɒptətɪv/ /ɒpˈteɪtɪv/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-optative.wav

Word forms

optative more optative most optative opt. optatives

Etymology

From Middle French optatif, from Late Latin optātīvus, a calque of Ancient Greek εὐκτική (euktikḗ, “related to wishing”), from Latin optātus, past participle of optāre.

Related words

cooptative subjunctive

Derived words

optatively

Translations

Azerbaijani: arzu şəkli Esperanto: optativo Finnish: optatiivi French: optatif German: Optativ German: Wunschform Greek: ευκτική Ancient Greek: εὐκτική Hungarian: optativus Hungarian: óhajtó mód Icelandic: óskháttur Italian: ottativo Korean: 원망법 Old English: ġewȳsċendlīċ Polish: tryb życzący Portuguese: optativo Spanish: optativo Swedish: optativ Tamil: வியங்கோள் Turkish: istek kipi
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