Volitive modality

Volitive modality (abbreviated VOL) is a linguistic modality that indicates the desires, wishes or fears of the speaker. It is classified as a subcategory of deontic modality.^[1]

Realisation in speech

Volitive moods are a category of grammatical moods that are used to express volitive modality. Examples are the optative, desiderative and imprecative moods.^[1] However, many languages (like English) have other ways to express volitive modality, for example modal verbs ("Would that you were here!", "May he live forever!").

The volitive in Esperanto is really a generic deontic mood, expressing commands as well as will, desire, and purpose. It is formed by adding a -u to the verb stem.^[2]

Estu feliĉa "May you be happy!"
Donu al mi panon "Give me bread!"

References

1 2 Loos, Eugene E.; Susan Anderson; Dwight H. Day, Jr.; Paul C. Jordan; J. Douglas Wingate. "What is volitive modality?". Glossary of linguistic terms. SIL International. Retrieved 2009-12-28. Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthors= (help)
↑ Fryer, Helen. The Esperanto Teacher (10th ed.). Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 2010-03-13.

Linguistic modalities and grammatical moods

Realis
(what is)

Irrealis

Deontic (what should be)	Benedictive Commissive (promises, threats) Directive (commands, requests, requirements) Deliberative Hortative (+ subtypes) Imperative Jussive Necessitative Permissive Precative Prohibitive Propositive Volitive (hopes, wishes, fears) Desiderative Imprecative Optative

Epistemic (what may be)	(inferences, possibilities, questions, etc.) Alethic Assumptive Deductive Dubitative Hypothetical Inferential/renarrative/oblique Interrogative Potential Speculative Subjunctive

Dependent circumstances (what would be)	Conditional Eventive

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