OPTATIVE

optative

(adjective) relating to a mood of verbs in some languages; “optative verb endings”

optative

(adjective) indicating an option or wish

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

optative (not comparable)

Expressing a wish or a choice.

(grammar) Related or pertaining to the optative mood.

Noun

optative (plural optatives)

(grammar) A mood of verbs found in some languages (e.g. Sanskrit, Old Prussian, Ancient Greek), used to express a wish. English does not have inflectional optative forms.

(grammar) A verb or expression in the optative mood.

Source: Wiktionary

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Op"ta*tive, a. Etym: [L. optativus: cf. F. optatif.]

Definition: Expressing desire or wish. Fuller. Optative mood (Gram.), that mood or form of a verb, as in Greek, Sanskrit, etc., in which a wish or desire is expressed.

Op"ta*tive, n. Etym: [Cf. F. optatif.]

1. Something to be desired. [R.] Bacon.

2. (Gram.)

Definition: The optative mood; also, a verb in the optative mood.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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