dativeAblative

Dativeablative is a term used in linguistics to describe a single grammatical case or oblique form that merges the functions of both the dative and the ablative. In languages with such a merger, this dative-ablative form can encode recipient or beneficiary roles (typical of the dative) as well as source, origin, or movement away from something (typical of the ablative). The result is a multifunctional marker that covers multiple semantic fields within a single morphological category.

The functional range of a dative-ablative form can vary by language, but it commonly appears with verbs of giving, benefiting, or transferring, where a recipient is involved, as well as with motion or source-related meanings such as leaving, emerging from, or starting points. In some systems, the same form may also mark direction toward a goal or endpoint, creating a flexible polysemy that reduces the number of distinct case markings needed in the grammar.

Morphology and syntax for dative-ablative forms are language-specific. They are often realized as a suffix attached to the noun or pronoun, a clitic, or an affix on the verb, and may interact with other oblique cases, postpositions, or prepositions. Syntactically, such forms typically participate in ditransitive constructions and may align with indirect object phrases, beneficiary arguments, or pathway expressions, depending on the language’s overall case system.

Dative-ablative case is a typologically rare example of case syncretism, illustrating how languages can economize morphology by merging related semantic roles. It is discussed in studies of case mergers, oblique marking, and the typology of dative and ablative functions.

See also: Dative case, Ablative case, Oblique case, Case syncretism, Grammatical case.