allativecase

Allative case is a grammatical case found in several languages that marks motion toward a destination or onto a surface. It encodes directional meaning related to movement, typically indicating “to” or “onto” a place. The allative is often contrasted with other locative cases that describe static location or movement into something (for example the illative for “into” and the adessive for “on” or “at”). The precise inventory and usage of allative forms vary from language to language, but the core function is directional toward a goal.

In Finnish, the allative is expressed with the suffix -lle attached to the noun. Examples include talolle “to the house,” koululle “to school,” and tuolille “to the chair.” In Estonian, the allative is similarly formed with the suffix -le, as in majale “to the house” and koolile “to school.” In both languages, the allative is commonly used with verbs of motion to indicate destination, and it can also convey movement toward a surface in contexts such as placing something onto an object.

Usage notes: the allative signals a dynamic movement toward a destination rather than a fixed location. It is distinct from related locative cases like the illative (into) or the adessive (on/at). In languages that have it, the allative is typically realized as a suffix on the noun or as a dependent prepositional element; some languages rely on prepositions instead of a dedicated case. The allative appears most prominently in Uralic languages and certain related language families, while not all languages have a dedicated allative.