{Optative mood} (Gram.), that mood or form of a verb, as in Greek, Sanskrit, etc., in which a wish or desire is expressed. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
Optative mood — The optative mood (abbreviated opt) is a grammatical mood that indicates a wish or hope. It is similar to the cohortative mood, and closely related to the subjunctive mood. Ancient Greek, Albanian, Armenian, Georgian, Kurdish, Old Prussian,… … Wikipedia
optative mood — mood that expresses a wish or desire (Grammar) … English contemporary dictionary
optative mood — noun a mood (as in Greek or Sanskrit) that expresses a wish or hope; expressed in English by modal verbs • Syn: ↑optative • Topics: ↑Sanskrit, ↑Sanskritic language • Regions: ↑Greece, ↑Hellenic Republic, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
optative — [äp′tə tiv] adj. [Fr optatif < LL optativus < pp. of L optare: see OPTION] 1. expressing wish or desire 2. designating or of the grammatical mood, as in Greek, which expresses wish or desire n. 1. the optative mood 2. a verb in this mood… … English World dictionary
Optative — Op ta*tive, n. [Cf. F. optatif.] 1. Something to be desired. [R.] Bacon. [1913 Webster] 2. (Gram.) The optative mood; also, a verb in the optative mood. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Optative — Op ta*tive, a. [L. optativus: cf. F. optatif.] Expressing desire or wish. Fuller. [1913 Webster] {Optative mood} (Gram.), that mood or form of a verb, as in Greek, Sanskrit, etc., in which a wish or desire is expressed. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Optative (Ancient Greek) — See also: Optative mood The optative mood, from Ancient Greek (énklisis) euktikē (inflection) for wishing [1] and Latin optātīvus (modus) (way) of wishing ,[2] is a grammatical mood of the Ancient Greek verb, named for its use as a way to express … Wikipedia
optative — 1. adjective a) expressing a wish or a choice. b) related or pertaining to the optative mood. 2. noun a) a mood of verbs found in some languages (e.g. Old Prussian, Latin), used to express a w … Wiktionary
optative — optatively, adv. /op teuh tiv/, Gram. adj. 1. designating or pertaining to a verb mood, as in Greek, that has among its functions the expression of a wish, as Greek íoimen may we go, we wish we might go. n. 2. the optative mood. 3. a verb in the… … Universalium
optative — op•ta•tive [[t]ˈɒp tə tɪv[/t]] adj. 1) gram. of or pertaining to a verb mood, as in Greek, used to express a wish or desire 2) gram. the optative mood 3) gram. a verb in the optative mood • Etymology: 1520–30; < LL optātīvus= L optāt(us) (ptp … From formal English to slang
