Directionaldative

Directionaldative is a term used in linguistics to describe a grammatical category that combines directional meaning with dative-like recipient or beneficiary semantics. In languages that exhibit it, a directionaldative marker often encodes the movement toward a goal or reference point while also marking a participant as indirectly affected or benefited, similar to how a dative marks an indirect object. The result is a case or case-like function that sits at the intersection of motion direction and recipient-oriented datival relations.

Morphology and syntax are variable. In some languages, directionaldative is realized as a suffix or clitic attached to a noun phrase representing the goal or recipient, or as a postpositional element that attaches to the noun or to the entire clause. The directionaldative tends to appear with verbs of motion or transfer, and may interact with other directional or locative systems, such as allative or dative contrasts. Its exact form and distribution can differ across languages, and some analyses treat the directionaldative as a specialized allative-dative fusion rather than a separate category.

Cross-linguistic distribution is limited and not universally recognized. Directionaldative is discussed in certain typological descriptions and grammars as an instance of how motion direction can be integrated with beneficiary or recipient marking. Because similar functions can be analyzed as combinations of existing cases (dative, allative, or directional postpositions), the status of directionaldative as a distinct category remains debated in some linguistic traditions.

See also: dative, allative, directional case, locative. Further research and language-specific grammars provide the most reliable information on how directionaldative manifests in particular languages.