vocare

Vocare is a Latin verb meaning to call, summon, name, or invite. It belongs to the first conjugation; its principal parts are voco, vocare, vocavi, vocatum. The infinitive is vocare, the present active forms include voco, vocas, vocat, and the passive infinitive is vocari. The perfect passive participle is vocatus.

In Latin usage, vocare takes a direct object in the accusative—eg, ego te voco, I call you. The sense can extend to naming or designating someone, inviting someone to come, or invoking or summoning in various contexts. In passive constructions, the verb becomes vocari, meaning to be called or to be summoned, with the subject in the nominative.

From vocare derive several common Latin compounds and English derivatives. Examples include advocare (to call to one’s aid or to summon), evocare (to evoke or summon forth), invocare (to invoke or call upon), and vocatio (a call, invitation, or vocation). The past participle vocatus yields related meanings in Latin and stimulated the formation of related terms in the Romance languages and English.

Vocation and religious usage derive from the noun vocatio, a form built from vocare’s meaning of a call. In Christian and secular contexts, vocation designates a sense of being called to a particular life, service, or career—often a religious calling to priesthood or religious life, or a broader sense of life’s intended work. In English, vocation typically refers to a person’s chosen occupation as well as a sense of a divine or inner summons.

In summary, vocare is a foundational Latin verb whose meanings center on calling and inviting, and whose derivatives have deeply influenced religious, legal, and everyday vocabulary in many languages.