ablatiiv

Ablatiiv, or ablatiiv in some languages, is a grammatical case used in several language families to mark origin or source and, in many languages, to express separation or movement away from a location. It can also encode means or instrument, and in some languages the agent of a passive action or other relations. The exact use and form vary by language, and not all languages have an ablative.

Typical functions include origin or source (from X), movement away from a place, the means or instrument by which an action is performed, and, in languages with a larger case system, agent in passive constructions or reason or cause. In languages with explicit case endings, the ablative is usually expressed by a distinct noun ending or by a postposed preposition.

Examples: In Latin, the ablative marks instrument, as in gladio pugnat "he fights with a sword"; it also appears in the agent construction with a preposition, as ab Iove "by Jupiter," and with ex "from the city" indicating origin. Turkish marks origin and other ablative functions with the suffix -den/-dan, as evden "from the house." Hungarian uses suffixes such as -ból/-ből or -tól/-től to express from, as házból "from the house" or háztól "from his/her house."

The ablativ is part of a broader nominal case system and its exact usage and form can vary widely between languages. See also: ablative case, Latin grammar, Turkish grammar, Hungarian grammar.