votive

Etymology

From Middle French votif, from Latin vōtīvus (“votive”), from vōtum (“vow”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvəʊ.tɪv/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvoʊ.tɪv/
• Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -əʊtɪv, (General American) -oʊtɪv

Adjective

votive (comparative more votive, superlative most votive)

1. Dedicated or given in fulfillment of a vow or pledge.

   She placed a votive offering at the shrine.

   • 1856, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, Part 1/Chapter 1:

     embellishments of flowers and votive garlands

   • 1822, William Wordsworth, Memorial, near the Outlet of the Lake of Thun:

     We reached a votive stone, that bears the name / Of Aloys Reding.

2. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Of, expressing, or symbolizing a vow. Often used to describe thick cylindrical candles found in many churches, lit when making a private vow or asking a private intention.

   The church was lit by votive candles.

Noun

votive (plural votives)

1. (music) a hymn or chant dedicated to a particular saint, or to the Virgin Mary

Related terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɔ.tiv/

Adjective

votive

1. feminine singular of votif

Anagrams

• vivote, vivoté

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /voˈti.ve/
• Rhymes: -ive
• Hyphenation: vo‧tì‧ve

Adjective

votive

1. feminine plural of votivo

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /u̯oːˈtiː.u̯e/, [u̯oːˈt̪iːu̯ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /voˈti.ve/, [voˈt̪iːve]

Adjective

vōtīve

1. vocative masculine singular of vōtīvus

References

• "votive", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “votive”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎