The term "vocative" refers to a grammatical case used in some languages to address or call upon someone or something directly. When speaking, the vocative case is employed to indicate the person being spoken to and often appears in direct address. For example, in the sentence, "Lisa, can you come here?" the word "Lisa" is in the vocative case, as it directly speaks to the person being addressed.
The word "vocative" originates from the Latin term "vocativus," which means "to call" or "to summon." The root "vocare" in Latin translates to "to call," reflecting the function of this grammatical case in addressing individuals.