I. ˈvä-kə-tiv adjective
Etymology: Middle English vocatif, from Middle French, from Latin vocativus, from vocatus, past participle of vocare
Date: 15th century
1. : of, relating to, or being a grammatical case marking the one addressed (as Latin Domine in miserere, Domine “have mercy, O Lord”)
2. of a word or word group : marking the one addressed (as mother in “mother, come here”)
• voc·a·tive·ly adverb
II. noun
Date: 15th century
1. : the vocative case of a language
2. : a form in the vocative case