Nyelvnek

Nyelvnek is the dative singular form of the Hungarian noun nyelv, which means "tongue" or "language." As a case form it marks the indirect object or beneficiary of an action, and appears where English uses "to" or "for" (for example, "to the language" or "for the tongue"). The suffix -nek (alternatively -nak) signals the dative in Hungarian; the choice between -nek and -nak follows vowel harmony, with -nek attaching to stems that contain front vowels, as in nyelv → nyelvnek. Plural dative forms are formed from the plural stem (nyelvek → nyelveknek).

Pronunciation: [ˈɲɛlvnɛk], with primary stress on the first syllable as in standard Hungarian.

Typical functions include indicating the recipient or beneficiary ("Adtam egy példát a nyelvnek" – "I gave an example to the language" [stylistic/abstract usage]), marking arguments required by certain verbs, and appearing in constructions that express attribution or cause ("A nyelvnek köszönhető a megértés" – "Understanding is due to the language"). Orthographically the dative suffix is attached directly to the noun without spacing.

Etymologically, nyelv is an old Hungarian word related to Uralic terms for "tongue" and "speech." The form nyelvnek is a routine inflection used in modern Hungarian morphology and grammar.