Ablativ

Ablativ, or ablative, is a grammatical case used in some languages with rich inflection to express relations that in English are often conveyed by prepositions. It is most famously associated with Latin, but other languages also have an ablative or ablative-like function in their case systems.

The ablativ commonly marks origin or source (from), separation or movement away, and the instrument or means by which an action is performed (with). It can also express manner or cause, and in some languages it marks the agent in passive constructions or indicates accompaniment. The exact range of meanings and how they are realized vary from language to language.

In Latin, the ablativ has a long and flexible role, appearing as a bare case form or with prepositions to clarify nuance. Its uses include indicating means (instrument), source or separation, and various adverbial senses such as manner or cause. In other languages that have an ablative, the form is often realized through degree of inflection or suffixes rather than a fixed preposition, so the precise functions can differ.

Turkish and several other languages with explicit case systems also employ an ablative case marked by suffixes (for example denoting origin or departure). In these languages, the marker attaches to the noun to denote the relational meaning rather than relying on a fixed preposition.

The term ablativ derives from the Latin ablativus, meaning relating to the ablative case. In languages that use it, the ablativ is one part of the broader case system and its exact functions are defined by the grammar of each language.