Elatives

/ɪ.ˈleɪ.tɪvz/ noun

Definition

Plural of elative; in linguistics, multiple instances or examples of the elative case or elative constructions; more broadly, things that are uplifting or exhilarating.

Etymology

From 'elative' plus the standard plural suffix '-s.' In linguistic usage, it specifically refers to multiple examples of the elative grammatical case found in certain languages.

Kelly Says

This is a word that lives almost exclusively in linguistic textbooks—when Finnish grammar scholars discuss cases, 'elatives' is their term for constructions that indicate movement away from something, yet the word itself means 'lifting up,' a beautiful linguistic irony.

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