Datival

/deɪˈtaɪvəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or functioning as the dative case, a grammatical category in some languages that indicates the indirect object or recipient.

Etymology

From 'dative' (from Latin 'dativus' meaning given, used grammatically for the case that indicates the receiver) plus the adjective suffix '-al' (relating to).

Kelly Says

Languages like Latin, German, and Russian obsess over dative case because it lets them show relationships between words without needing word order—a single case ending does the job that English needs 'to' or 'for' to accomplish.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.