Optative

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒptətɪv/

Definitions

1. A grammatical mood expressing a wish, desire, or hope for something to occur
2. A grammatical mood used to express wishes, desires, or hopes for future events or outcomes
3. A verb form or clause expressing the speaker's wish for something to happen or to be true

Etymology: The optative is a grammatical mood, and its name began as a translation. The ancient Greek grammarians called this mood "euktikē," an adjective meaning "related to wishing" or "prayerful," since Greek used it for prayers and hopes. Latin writers rendered that Greek term as "optātīvus," built on "optāre," "to wish or desire," and that Latin coinage later passed into Middle French as "optatif." The Latin word is a calque, meaning a term built by translating the parts of a foreign word rather than borrowing its sound. Greek "euktikē" was a natural choice for a grammatical label, because it named the mood by its typical use. The English word therefore carries the Greek idea of wishing through a Latin translation and a French intermediary.