Optative
/ˈɒp.tə.tɪv/noun
Expressing a wish, desire, or possibility; in grammar, denoting a mood used to express wishing.
Did you know?Optative comes from Latin optativus, from optare, meaning “to wish,” a root that also feeds words like option and adopt — all tied to choosing, wanting, and claiming.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃ep-
“to choose, desire, seek”
Latin
Latin
optāre
“to choose, wish for, desire”
Latin
Latin
optātīvus
“expressing a wish; desirable”
Late Middle English
English
optatif
“pertaining to the expression of a wish in grammar”
Modern English
English
optative
“expressing a wish or possibility, especially in grammar”