Where does “vocative” come from?

Vocative comes from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocativus, derived from Latin vox meaning voice or call, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ-.

vocative (English): Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to calling; used in calling or...

Ancestry of “vocative”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchvocatifthe vocative case
2Latinvocātīvusof or belonging to calling, vocative
3Latinvocōto call, summon, beckon (with one's voice)
4Latinvōxvoice
5Proto-Italicwōksvoice
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwṓkʷsvoice, speech
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwekʷ-to speak, to sound out

Words derived from “vocative”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wṓkʷs →Every word from Proto-Italic wōks →