Strojevima

Strojevima is a grammatical form used in several South Slavic languages to denote the instrumental plural of the noun stroj (machine) or the dative plural of strojevi (machines). It is found in standard Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian and is used in contexts involving machines or equipment, especially after prepositions that govern the instrumental or dative cases.

Etymology and forms

The base word stroj means a device or contraption, with strojevi as the nominative plural. The form strojevima arises through standard inflection, yielding the instrumental plural (with machines) and, in some contexts, the dative plural (to the machines). In many sentences the instrumental and dative plural are identical, which is typical for this noun class in these languages.

Usage

In practical use, strojevima appears most often after prepositions that require the instrumental case, such as sa or uz, to mean “with the machines.” It can also appear in a dative sense when indicating an indirect object related to machines. The form is common in technical writing, manuals, and formal registers, but is also understood in everyday speech.

See also

Stroj, Strojevi, Slavic grammar

Notes

Strojevima illustrates how a single noun can yield multiple case forms across the plural, reflecting the rich system of noun declensions in South Slavic languages.