Indicative
/ɪnˈdɪkətɪv/noun
Serving to indicate, or denoting the verb mood used for ordinary statements and questions.
Did you know?Indicative comes from the same Latin family as index, originally connected with the act of pointing something out with a finger or sign.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deyḱ-
“To point out, show, or indicate”
Ancient Greek
Greek
deiknȳmi (δείκνυμι)
“I show, point out, or demonstrate”
Classical Latin
Latin
indicāre
“To point out, disclose, or make known”
Late Latin
Latin
indicātīvus
“Serving to indicate; grammatical term for the ordinary statement-making mood”
Middle English
English
indicatif
“Indicating or declaring”
Modern English
English
indicative
“Showing or suggesting; the grammatical mood of ordinary assertions”