English

Etymology
From Middle English optatif, from Old French, from Late Latin optativus|opt�tīvus, from Latin optatus|opt�tus, past participle of optare|opt�re, to wish.

Adjective
optative (no comparative or superlative)

1. expressing a wish or a choice.
2. grammar a mood of verb|verbs found in some languages (e.g. Old Prussian, Latin), used to express a wish. English does not have an optative mood, but it does have some words with peculiar properties e.g., hope, wish, want, desire, which express the optative.

Noun
optative

1. grammar the optative mood.
2. a verb or expression in the optative mood.

Derived terms
optative mood

See also
optatively
subjunctive

fr:optative
io:optative
it:optative
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ru:optative
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vi:optative
tr:optative
zh:optative

• 2007-10-03 04:09 - Interwicket - iwiki +fr, te

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