Allatiivdatiiv

Allatiivdatiiv is a term used in linguistic typology to describe a fused case that combines allative and dative functions. In languages where it is described, a single morphosyntactic form marks both a direction toward a referent (the allative function) and a recipient or beneficiary of an action (the dative function). The result is a nominal marking that encodes both destination and recipient within one inflectional category.

Morphology and syntax of an allatiivdatiiv are language-specific. Typically, the fused form appears as a suffix or clitic attached to nouns, pronouns, or possessive constructions. Semantically, it may convey notions such as “to someone for someone,” linking the idea of motion toward a goal with the beneficiary role of the recipient. The exact boundaries between the allative and dative readings can vary depending on discourse context and animacy, and in many languages the two functions remain separate, expressed by different cases or by adpositions.

Distribution and status in descriptions of human language vary. The allatiivdatiiv is not universally attested and is mainly discussed in niche descriptive, historical, or typological studies. In some accounts it is proposed as a possible historical merger of allative and dative systems, while in others it is treated as a language-specific pattern rather than a broadly cross-linguistic category. Because realizations are highly language-dependent, the concept is best understood as a tool for describing observed case systems rather than as a single, universally applicable mold.

See also: allative, dative, case fusion, case morphology, typology.