Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Optative Mood

Definition: 

Optative mood is a volitive mood that signals wishing or hoping.

Examples: 

(Classical Greek)

Here is an example of optative mood (diacritical markings are not reproduced here):

 
ei gar genoime:n teknon anti sou nekros
oh that become.1SINGULAR.AORIST.OPTATIVE son instead-of thou corpse
‘O that I might be a corpse, my child, instead of you!’

 

(Euripides, Hypolytus 1410 cited by Palmer 1986 117 )