evitative
English
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]From Latin ēvītāre (“to avoid”), from ē- (“out”) + vītāre (“to shun”).
Adjective
[edit]evitative (not comparable)
- (grammar) grammatically expressing the notion that something is avoided or feared: a grammatical mood found in some Australian Aboriginal languages.
- Synonym: aversive
- 1986, Language[1], Linguistic Society of America:
- The non-past non-evitative potential corresponds both to the English indicative future and to all imperatives (including jussive and hortatory imperatives); the evitative is used to mark future events that are feared or to be avoided , and corresponds to English "lest..." constructions, except that it is not limited to subordinate clauses.