DativeGenitive

DativeGenitive is a term used in linguistics to describe a construction in which the dative case serves functions traditionally associated with possession or related relationships, sometimes appearing alongside or instead of a genitive form. The label is most often applied as a descriptive shorthand for patterns in certain languages or historical stages where possessive meaning is expressed with a dative-marked possessor, or where a single form blends dative and genitive functions.

In typology, DativeGenitive is not a universal or formal category found in all languages. It is typically discussed as a facet of possessive syntax, often in the context of a dative of possession or dativus possessivus phenomena. The construction can arise from historical shifts where the possessive relationship migrates from a genitive marker to a dative-marked possessor, or where a possessive determiner accompanies a dative noun phrase.

Syntax and semantics characteristically place the possessor in the dative case, with the possessed noun linked via a possessive determiner or pronoun. The overall meaning expresses ownership, association, or benefit rather than a direct recipient of action. This pattern often coexists with standard genitive constructions, and speakers may choose between forms for emphasis, clarity, or stylistic reasons.

Examples are most commonly described in Germanic languages. A colloquial German instance is Dem Mann sein Auto, meaning “the man’s car,” where the possessor appears in the dative and is accompanied by a possessive element. Notes on DativeGenitive typically distinguish it from genuine genitive possession and from other dative-related constructions. See also dative of possession, genitive of possession, and related case systems.