demonstrative

See also: démonstrative

English

Etymology

From Middle English demonstratif, from Middle French démonstratif.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈmɒnstɹətɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈmɑnstɹətɪv/, /dəˈmɑnstɹətɪv/

Adjective

demonstrative (comparative more demonstrative, superlative most demonstrative)

1. that serves to demonstrate, show or prove
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, OCLC 931154958, (please specify the page):

     an argument necessary and demonstrative

2. given to open displays of emotion
   • 1783, Hugh Blair, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres

     demonstrative eloquence

   • 1865, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, Wives and Daughters, Chapter III:

     He had rather a contempt for demonstrative people, arising from his medical insight into the consequences to health of uncontrolled feeling.

3. (grammar) that specifies the thing or person referred to

Derived terms

• demonstrative adjective
• demonstrative pronoun

Translations

that serves to demonstrate, show or prove

• Armenian: ցուցադրական (hy) (cʿucʿadrakan)
• Bulgarian: показателен (bg) (pokazatelen), демонстративен (bg) (demonstrativen)
• Catalan: demostratiu (ca)
• Finnish: valaiseva (fi), demonstratiivinen (fi)
• French: démonstratif (fr)
• German: demonstrativ (de)

• Norman: dêmonstratif
• Portuguese: demonstrativo (pt), demonstrador, ilustrativo
• Romanian: demonstrativ (ro) m
• Russian: демонстрати́вный (ru) (demonstratívnyj), показа́тельный (ru) (pokazátelʹnyj)
• Spanish: demostrativo (es)

given to open displays of emotion

• Bulgarian: нагледен (bg) (nagleden)
• Finnish: avomielinen (fi), avoin (fi)

• Greek: εκδηλωτικός (el) (ekdilotikós)
• Russian: нагля́дный (ru) (nagljádnyj)

(grammar) that specifies the thing or person referred to

• Armenian: ցուցական (hy) (cʿucʿakan)
• Bulgarian: показателен (bg) (pokazatelen)
• Catalan: demostratiu (ca)
• Danish: demonstrativ
• Finnish: demonstratiivinen (fi)
• French: démonstratif (fr)
• German: demonstrativ (de)
• Greek: δεικτικός (el) (deiktikós)

  Ancient: δεικτικός (deiktikós)

• Icelandic: ábendingar-
• Irish: taispeántach

• Norman: dêmonstratif
• Norwegian:

  Norwegian Bokmål: påpekende

  Norwegian Nynorsk: påpeikande

• Portuguese: demonstrativo (pt)
• Romanian: demonstrativ (ro) m
• Russian: указа́тельный (ru) (ukazátelʹnyj)
• Spanish: demostrativo (es)
• Welsh: dangosolyn m

Noun

demonstrative (plural demonstratives)

1. (grammar) A demonstrative word
   1. A demonstrative adjective.
   2. A demonstrative pronoun.

Translations

demonstrative word

• Finnish: demonstratiivi
• Irish: taispeántach m

• Walloon: mot d' mostraedje m

demonstrative adjective — see demonstrative adjective

demonstrative pronoun — see demonstrative pronoun

---

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

demonstrative

1. inflection of demonstrativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

---

Latin

Adjective

dēmōnstrātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of dēmōnstrātīvus

References

• “demonstrative”, in Charlton T[homas] Lewis; Charles [Lancaster] Short (1879) […] A New Latin Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.: American Book Company; Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• demonstrative in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette