Celowniklocativ

Celowniklocativ is a term used in theoretical linguistics to describe a hypothetical grammatical category that combines the functions of the Polish celownik (dative) and the locativ (locative) into a single marker or analytic construction. It is not a standard case found in natural languages, but it appears in discussions of case fusion, multi-function marking, and historical development of case systems as a possible or proposed feature rather than an attested grammar in any language.

In morphology, celowniklocativ could be realized as a fused inflection on nouns or pronouns that encodes both recipient/beneficiary (dative) and spatial location (locative), or as an analytic marker attaching to a noun phrase through a clitic or preposition. Semantically, its function would typically cover recipient or beneficiary aspects together with a locational reading, such as indicating to whom something is given in a particular place or context. Syntactically, a celowniklocativ form might occupy the same oblique position as other cases, often interacting with verbs of giving, sending, or placing and with prepositional phrases expressing location.

Cross-linguistic parallels are discussed in theoretical work, where certain languages show overlap between dative and locative meanings or employ fused or bundled markers for multiple roles. In historical linguistics, proposals about stage-like cases sometimes include ideas akin to a celowniklocativ as an intermediate step between separate cases and analytic constructions. The term remains primarily a theoretical construct rather than a description of an attested grammatical system.

See also: Dative case, Locative case, Case fusion, Double object constructions, Instrumental.