Elative

/ɪ.ˈleɪ.tɪv/ adjective

Definition

Tending to elate or elevate; having the quality of making someone happy or excited; also, a grammatical case in some languages expressing the superlative degree.

Etymology

From Latin 'elativus,' derived from 'elatus' (lifted up). The suffix '-ive' creates an adjective meaning 'tending to' or 'having the quality of.' In linguistics, 'elative' specifically refers to a grammatical case found in Finnish and other languages.

Kelly Says

In Finnish grammar, the 'elative case' literally means 'out of/from'—so linguists borrowed this Latin word that means 'lifting' to describe a case that describes movement away from something, showing how scientific terminology crosses between languages.

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