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Volitive vs Optative - What's the difference?

volitive | optative |

As adjectives the difference between volitive and optative

is that volitive is of or pertaining the will or volition while optative is expressing a wish or a choice.

As nouns the difference between volitive and optative

is that volitive is a verb form found in certain languages which indicates that a certain action is willed, although it may not be performed in fact while optative is a mood of verbs found in some languages (e.g. Old Prussian, Ancient Greek), used to express a wish. English has no inflexional optative mood, but it has modal verbs like "might" and "may" that express possibility.

volitive

English

Adjective

(-)
  • of or pertaining the will or volition
  • in the

    • Derived terms

    * volitivity

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable, linguistics) A verb form found in certain languages which indicates that a certain action is willed, although it may not be performed in fact.
  • (linguistics) A specific volitive form of a verb.

    • See also

    * mode * desiderative ----

    optative

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (-)
  • expressing a wish or a choice.
    • (Fuller)
  • (grammar) related or pertaining to the optative mood.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar) a mood of verbs found in some languages (e.g. Old Prussian, Ancient Greek), used to express a wish. English has no inflexional optative mood, but it has modal verbs like "might" and "may" that express possibility.
  • (grammar) a verb or expression in the optative mood.

    • Derived terms

    * optatively

    See also

    * subjunctive