DativeLocative

Dativelocative is a term used in linguistic discussion to describe a proposed single-case category that encodes both the dative function (recipient or benefactive) and the locative function (location or direction). In a system with a dativelocative case, the same grammatical form would mark a noun as related to both giving and location, with interpretation depending on context. The concept is mainly used in typological theory and in discussions of case mergers rather than as a widely attested feature in natural languages.

In practice, languages more commonly express these meanings with separate markers or constructions. A dativelocative analysis is invoked when historical or synchronic data suggest that a single form carries both senses, or when a language exhibits strong alignment between recipient and location in certain constructions. Realizations, when discussed, may involve a single suffix, clitic, or postpositional element that bears combined meaning, with its exact interpretation negotiated by the verb, argument structure, and surrounding phrases.

Attestation of a true dativelocative case in natural languages is scarce. Most languages maintain distinct dative and locative categories or use multi-word expressions to convey the combined meaning. When proposed, dativelocatives appear mainly in theoretical grammars, cross-linguistic surveys, or constructed languages, where analysts treat them as functional fusions or as instances of polysemy rather than as established inherited cases. In typology, they are related to other case fusions and to discussions of how locational and recipient semantics interact.

See also: dative case, locative case, allative, illative.