Jussiv

Jussiv is a term used in linguistic theory to refer to a proposed verbal mood intended to capture a range of exhortative and command-like meanings that may not fit neatly into existing moods such as imperative, subjunctive, or optative. In discussions where it appears, jussiv is described as potentially marking direct exhortation, permission, or urging in a way that is not universally attested as a distinct, cross-linguistic category.

Etymology and naming traces the term to the root juss- from Latin iussus, meaning order or command. The label jussiv is often used in theoretical descriptions rather than as a widely established grammatical category, reflecting the idea of “issuing an order” as part of the verb’s mood system.

Status in linguistic literature is tentative. Jussiv is not broadly recognized as a universal or widely attested mood across languages. Instead, it appears in some typological discussions and conlang grammars as a potential way to account for forms that behave like commands or exhortations in particular languages or constructions, when such forms do not align cleanly with conventional moods. Some scholars treat these functions as instances of existing moods (imperative, subjunctive, or optative) rather than a separate jussiv.

See also: jussive mood, imperative mood, subjunctive, optative.

---