dative (adj./n.) (dat, DAT)

One of the FORMS taken by a NOUN PHRASE (often a single NOUN or PRONOUN) in LANGUAGES which express GRAMMATICAL relationships by means of INFLECTIONS. The dative CASE (‘the dative’) typically expresses an INDIRECT OBJECT relationship, or a range of meaning similar to that covered by to or for in English: but there is a great deal of variation between languages in the way this case is used. English itself does not have a dative case form, but expresses the notion of indirect object using PREPOSITIONS and WORD-ORDER, e.g. he gave a book to the boy or he gave the boy a book. In classical TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAMMAR, the dative movement transformation related DITRANSITIVE constructions of this kind. An ethical dative (also ethic dative or dative of advantage) expresses the person with a particular interest in an action, as in the use of me in the Shakespearian ‘he plucked me ope his doublet’ (Julius Caesar I.ii.263). The term is given special status in CASE grammar, where it refers to the case of the ANIMATE being affected by the VERB’s state or action (later, EXPERIENCER). A frequently used alternative is RECIPIENT.