The Hortative /ˈhɔːrtətɪv/ is a group of semantically similar deontic moods in English. Hortative moods encourage or urge. There are seven hortative moods in English: the Adhortative, Exhortative, Suprahortative, Cohortative, Dehortative, Inhortative, and Infrahortative. They differ by intensity, attitude (for or against) and in the case of the Cohortative, person.
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Hortative moods signal the speaker's encouragement or discouragement toward the addressee's bringing about the proposition of an utterance. For this reason Hortative constructions can only be used in the 1st Person Plural (Cohortative) and 2nd Person Singular and Plural (Adhortative, Exhortative, Dehortative, and Inhortative).
The term Hortative dates to 1576, from L.L. hortatorius "encouraging, cheering," from hortatus, pp. of hortari "exhort, encourage," intens. of horiri "urge, incite, encourage".
Hortative modality is often mistaken for other moods due to semantic or lexical similarities. Hortative constructions also rarely have forms that are uniquely hortative. Let's (Let us) in its contracted form is an exception to this. However, even let's in its long form 'let us' as well as the colloquial semantic equal 'leave us' may be used as cohortatives as well as for other functions.
Consider:
Ambiguity also arises from hortative use of modals normally utilized for expression of other moods. Consider the modal '(have) got' which is most often used in an obligatory mood but which can also appear in hortative usage:
Further ambiguity often results from the structure of hortative formations which can sometimes have many words or appear as adverbially modified forms of other moods:
Many languages have Imperative-Hortative systems in which moods dealing with commands and encouragement are grouped together. This is not the case in English and results in some disagreement among linguists.
Imperatives and hortatives both involve the expression of a wish of the speaker about a future state of affairs. In this respect they are like optatives, but in contrast to optatives, they convey an appeal to the addressee(s) to help make the future state of affairs true. If the person in control of the desired state of affairs is the addressee or addressees, the utterance is an imperative. In any other case, it is a hortative . Consider these examples:
(1) illustrates an optative. It expresses a wish or hope of the speaker, but there is no appeal to the addressee to make it true. (2) and (3) also express a wish of the speaker, but in each case, there is an appeal to the addressee to help make it true, with the desired future state of affairs specified as that of someone singing. Note that the person who is supposed to sing is/are the addressee(s) in (2) thus making it a command. In (3), however, the intended singer is the addressee(s) together with the speaker thus effecting the mood of mutual encouragement that the speaker and the addressee(s) perform the action. [1]
The Hortative /ˈhɔːrtətɪv/ is a group of semantically similar deontic moods in English. Hortative moods encourage or urge. There are seven hortative moods in English: the Adhortative, Exhortative, Suprahortative, Cohortative, Dehortative, Inhortative, and Infrahortative. They differ by intensity, attitude (for or against) and in the case of the Cohortative, person.
Applied English Linguistics |
---|
Technical linguistics |
Descriptive linguistics |
Aspect ·
Perfection |
Deontic Moods |
Commissive |
Epistemic Moods |
Applied linguistics |
Related articles |
Portal |
Hortative moods signal the speaker's encouragement or discouragement toward the addressee's bringing about the proposition of an utterance. For this reason Hortative constructions can only be used in the 1st Person Plural (Cohortative) and 2nd Person Singular and Plural (Adhortative, Exhortative, Dehortative, and Inhortative).
The term Hortative dates to 1576, from L.L. hortatorius "encouraging, cheering," from hortatus, pp. of hortari "exhort, encourage," intens. of horiri "urge, incite, encourage".
Hortative modality is often mistaken for other moods due to semantic or lexical similarities. Hortative constructions also rarely have forms that are uniquely hortative. Let's (Let us) in its contracted form is an exception to this. However, even let's in its long form 'let us' as well as the colloquial semantic equal 'leave us' may be used as cohortatives as well as for other functions.
Consider:
Ambiguity also arises from hortative use of modals normally utilized for expression of other moods. Consider the modal '(have) got' which is most often used in an obligatory mood but which can also appear in hortative usage:
Further ambiguity often results from the structure of hortative formations which can sometimes have many words or appear as adverbially modified forms of other moods:
Many languages have Imperative-Hortative systems in which moods dealing with commands and encouragement are grouped together. This is not the case in English and results in some disagreement among linguists.
Imperatives and hortatives both involve the expression of a wish of the speaker about a future state of affairs. In this respect they are like optatives, but in contrast to optatives, they convey an appeal to the addressee(s) to help make the future state of affairs true. If the person in control of the desired state of affairs is the addressee or addressees, the utterance is an imperative. In any other case, it is a hortative . Consider these examples:
(1) illustrates an optative. It expresses a wish or hope of the speaker, but there is no appeal to the addressee to make it true. (2) and (3) also express a wish of the speaker, but in each case, there is an appeal to the addressee to help make it true, with the desired future state of affairs specified as that of someone singing. Note that the person who is supposed to sing is/are the addressee(s) in (2) thus making it a command. In (3), however, the intended singer is the addressee(s) together with the speaker thus effecting the mood of mutual encouragement that the speaker and the addressee(s) perform the action. [1]