Meaning

noun the case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed

adjective relating to a case used in some languages

originFrom Late Middle English [Term?], borrowed from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocātīvus (“for calling”); a calque of Ancient Greek κλητῐκή (klētĭkḗ, “for calling; vocative case”) – from vocāre (“to call”), from Proto-Indo-European *wokʷ-, o-grade of *wekʷ- (“give vocal utterance, speak”). See Latin vōx.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0