Vocative

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvɑkətɪv/

Definitions

1. A grammatical category employed to denote the act of directly addressing someone It relates to noun or pronoun forms used in speech acts This category is essential in identifying the listener in conversation
2. Relating to a form of a word used when speaking directly to a person or entity
3. Concerning the grammatical case or expression that signals direct speech to an individual

Etymology: The vocative is the grammatical case used when you address someone directly, as in "Brutus, you too?" The name itself comes from a translation of a Greek term. Ancient Greek grammarians called this case "klētikḗ," meaning "for calling," and the Romans rendered it as "vocātīvus," from the Latin verb "vocāre," "to call." Its root is "vōx," "voice," so the word is built around the act of calling out to someone. English borrowed the term through Middle French "vocatif," and it entered the language in Late Middle English, when grammarians were describing Latin case endings and needed a label for the form used in direct address. The idea behind it is simple: the case marks the person being spoken to, not the thing being talked about.

Synonyms: addressing, calling