Editing Vocative case (section)

==== Serbo-Croatian ====
In [[Serbo-Croatian]] languages, distinct vocatives exist only for singular masculine and feminine nouns. Nouns of the neuter gender and all nouns in plural have a vocative equal to the [[Nominative case|nominative]]. All vocative suffixes known from [[Old Church Slavonic]] also exist in Serbo-Croatian.<ref name="gramatika1997">{{cite book |last1= Barić |first1= Eugenija |last2= Lončarić |first2= Mijo |last3= Malić |first3= Dragica |last4= Pavešić |first4= Slavko |last5= Peti |first5= Mirko |last6= Zečević |first6= Vesna |last7= Znika |first7= Marija |title= Hrvatska gramatika |publisher= [[Školska knjiga]] |year= 1997 |isbn= 953-0-40010-1 }}</ref>

The vocative in Serbo-Croatian is formed according to one of three types of [[declension]], which are classes of nouns with the same declension suffixes.<ref>{{citation | author=[[Ivan Klajn]] | title=Gramatika srpskog jezika | publisher=Zavod za udžbenike i nastavna sredstva | location=Beograd | year=2005 | pages=50 ff}}</ref>

===== First declension =====
The first declension comprises masculine nouns that end with a consonant. These have a vocative suffix of either {{lang|sh|-e}} ({{lang|sh|doktor : doktore}} {{gloss|doctor}}) or {{lang|sh|-u}} ({{lang|sh|gospodar : gospodaru}} {{gloss|master}}).

Nouns terminating in {{lang|sh|-or}} have the {{lang|sh|-e}} vocative suffix: {{lang|sh|doktor : doktore}} {{gloss|doctor}}, {{lang|sh|major : majore}} {{gloss|major}}, {{lang|sh|majstor : majstore}} {{gloss|artisan}}, as well as nouns possessing an unsteady {{lang|sh|a}}: {{lang|sh|vetar : vetre}} {{gloss|wind}}, {{lang|sh|svekar : svekre}} {{gloss|father-in-law}}, and the noun {{lang|sh|car : care}} {{gloss|emperor}}. All other nouns in this class form the vocative with {{lang|sh|-u}}: {{lang|sh|gospodar : gospodaru}} {{gloss|master}}, {{lang|sh|pastir : pastiru}} {{gloss|shepherd}}, {{lang|sh|inženjer : inženjeru}} {{gloss|engineer}}, {{lang|sh|pisar : pisaru}} {{gloss|scribe}}, {{lang|sh|sekretar : sekretaru}} {{gloss|secretary}}.

In particular, masculine nouns ending with a [[Palatal consonant|palatal]] or prepalatal consonant {{lang|sh|j, lj, nj, č, dž, ć, đ}} or {{lang|sh|š}} form vocatives with the {{lang|sh|-u}} suffix: {{lang|sh|heroj : heroju}} {{gloss|hero}}, {{lang|sh|prijatelj : prijatelju}} {{gloss|friend}}, {{lang|sh|konj : konju}} {{gloss|horse}}, {{lang|sh|vozač : vozaču}} {{gloss|driver}}, {{lang|sh|mladić : mladiću}} {{gloss|youngster}}, {{lang|sh|kočijaš : kočijašu}} {{gloss|coachman}}, {{lang|sh|muž : mužu}} {{gloss|husband}}.

Nouns ending with the [[velars]] {{lang|sh|-k, -g}} and {{lang|sh|-h}} are [[Palatalization (sound change)|palatalized]] to {{lang|sh|-č, -ž, -š}} in the vocative: {{lang|cs|vojnik : vojniče}} {{gloss|soldier}}, {{lang|cs|drug : druže}} {{gloss|comrade}}, {{lang|sh|duh : duše}} {{gloss|ghost}}. A final {{lang|sh|-c}} becomes {{lang|sh|-č}} in the vocative: {{lang|sh|stric : striče}} {{gloss|uncle}}, {{lang|sh|lovac : lovče}} {{gloss|hunter}}. Likewise, a final {{lang|sh|-z}} becomes {{lang|sh|-ž}} in only two cases: {{lang|sh|knez : kneže}} {{gloss|prince}} and {{lang|sh|vitez : viteže}} {{gloss|knight}}.

The loss of the unsteady {{lang|sh|a}} can trigger a [[Consonant voicing and devoicing|sound change by hardening consonants]], as in {{lang|sh|vrabac : vrapče}} {{gloss|sparrow}} (not {{lang|sh|*vrabče}}), {{lang|sh|lisac : lišče}} {{gloss|male fox}} (not {{lang|sh|*lisče}}) and {{lang|sh|ženomrzac : ženomršče}} {{gloss|misogynist}} (not {{lang|sh|*ženomrzče}}). There may be a loss of {{lang|sh|-t}} before {{lang|sh|-c}} like in {{lang|sh|otac : oče}} {{gloss|father}} (instead of {{lang|sh|*otče}}), {{lang|sh|svetac : sveče}} {{gloss|saint}} (instead of {{lang|sh|*svetče}}). When these phonetic alterations would substantially change the base noun, the vocative remains equal to the nominative, for example {{lang|sh|tetak}} {{gloss|uncle}}, {{lang|sh|mačak}} {{gloss|male cat}}, {{lang|sh|bratac}} {{gloss|cousin}}. This also holds true for foreign names ending with {{lang|sh|-k, -g}} and {{lang|sh|-h}} like {{lang|sh|Džek}} {{gloss|Jack}}, {{lang|sh|Dag}} {{gloss|Doug}}, {{lang|sh|King, Hajnrih}}.

Male names ending with {{lang|sh|-o}} and {{lang|sh|-e}} have a vocative equal to the nominative, for example: {{lang|sh|Marko, Mihailo, Danilo, Đorđe, Pavle, Radoje}}.

===== Second declension =====
The second declension affects nouns with the ending ''{{lang|sh|-a}}''. These are mainly of feminine but sometimes also of masculine gender. These nouns have a vocative suffix ''{{lang|sh|-o}}'': {{lang|sh|riba : ribo}} {{gloss|fish}}, {{lang|sh|sluga : slugo}} {{gloss|servant}}, {{lang|sh|kolega : kolego}} {{gloss|colleague}}, {{lang|sh|poslovođa : poslovođo}} {{gloss|manager}}.

Exemptions to this rule are male and female given names, which have a vocative equal to the nominative, e. g. {{lang|sh|Vera, Zorka, Olga, Marija, Gordana, Nataša, Nikola, Kosta, Ilija}} etc. However, this is different for twosyllabic names with an ascending accent such as female names {{lang|sh|Nâda, Zôra, Mîca, Nêna}} and male names {{lang|sh|Pêra, Bôža, Pâja}}, etc., which form vocatives with ''{{lang|sh|-o}}'': {{lang|sh|Nâdo, Zôro, Mîco, Pêro, Bôžo, Pâjo}}, etc.

Denominations of relatives like {{lang|sh|mama}} {{gloss|mom}}, {{lang|sh|tata}} {{gloss|dad}}, ''{{lang|sh|baba}}'' {{gloss|grandmother}}, {{lang|sh|deda}} {{gloss|grandfather}}, {{lang|sh|tetka}} {{gloss|aunt}} (parent's sister), ''{{lang|sh|ujna}}'' {{gloss|aunt}} (mother's brother's wife), ''{{lang|sh|strina}}'' {{gloss|aunt}} (father's brother's wife) have vocatives equal to the nominative. This also holds true for country names ending in ''{{lang|sh|-ska, -čka, -ška}}''.

Nouns ending with the [[diminutive]] suffix ''-ica'' that consist of three or more syllables have a vocative with ''-e'': ''učiteljica: učiteljice'' "female teacher", ''drugarica: drugarice'' "girlfriend", ''tatica: tatice'' "daddy", ''mamica: mamice'' "mommy". This also applies to female names ''Danica: Danice'', ''Milica: Milice'', ''Zorica: Zorice'', and the male names ''Perica: Perice'', ''Tomica: Tomice''. Nouns of this class that can be applied to both males and females usually have a vocative ending of ''-ico'' (''pijanica: pijanico'' "drunkard", ''izdajica: izdajico'' "traitor", ''kukavica: kukavico'' "coward"), but vocatives with ''-ice'' are also seen.

The use of vocative endings for names varies among Serbo-Croatian dialects. People in [[Croatia]] often use only nominative forms as vocatives, while others are more likely to use grammatical vocatives.<ref name="osobnaimena">{{cite web|url=https://repozitorij.ffos.hr/islandora/object/ffos%3A3127/datastream/PDF/view|title=Vokativ osobnih imena u hrvatskom jeziku|author=Alen Orlić|publisher=[[University of Osijek]]|date=2011|language=hr|access-date=17 October 2018}}</ref>

===== Third declension =====
The third declension affects feminine nouns ending with a consonant. The vocative is formed by appending the suffix ''{{lang|sh|-i}}'' to the nominative ({{lang|sh|reč : reči}} {{gloss|word}}, {{lang|sh|noć : noći}} {{gloss|night}}).