In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
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
optative (not comparable)
Expressing a wish or a choice.
(grammar) Related or pertaining to the optative mood.
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
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
2 June 2025
(noun) status with respect to the relations between people or groups; “on good terms with her in-laws”; “on a friendly footing”
In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.