exhortatives

Exhortatives, also called hortatives, are a grammatical mood or construction used to express exhortation or encouragement for an action, typically addressing a group that includes the speaker. The main function is to urge action in a cooperative, rather than commanding, way. They often feature inclusive meaning like “let us” in English.

In languages with a dedicated hortative form, the first-person plural inclusive is common, as in English examples such as “Let us begin.” Other languages may realize exhortation through specific subjunctive or jussive forms, or through imperative constructions that convey a proposed action rather than a direct command. For instance, some Romance languages use the present subjunctive to form hortatives, while others rely on imperative or periphrastic constructions such as “let us” or equivalent phrases.

Typology and cross-linguistic variation: Exhortatives are frequently treated as a subcategory of the subjunctive or jussive in grammars, but many languages maintain a distinct hortative mood or particle. In some languages, no dedicated form exists and exhortation is expressed by a combination of mood, particles, and context. The precise morphosyntactic realization varies widely across languages.

Pragmatic function: The exhortative mood typically appears in discourse that proposes, recommends, or invites a course of action, often in group planning, ceremonial speech, or formal proposals. It signals solidarity and collective agency and can adjust in level of politeness or force depending on social context.

See also: imperative mood; subjunctive; jussive; optative; exhortation.