dativeallativelike

Dativeallativelike is a term used in linguistic typology to describe a single grammatical marker or construction that bears both dative and allative semantics. It typically arises in languages with rich case systems or postpositional marking and is most evident in ditransitive constructions where the recipient and the goal of motion are tied together semantically.

Morphology and syntax: The phenomenon can be realized as a single affix or postposition that attaches to a noun phrase or a bound clitic on a pronoun. In some languages the marker is syncretic with ordinary dative or allative forms, in others it is a distinct allative-dative marker. The use may be restricted to certain verbs (e.g., give, send) and certain syntactic configurations that express movement toward a recipient or beneficiary.

Semantics and pragmatics: The marker encodes recipient-oriented or beneficiary relations with a directional component toward the recipient. It can blur or collapse the distinction between "to" as a recipient and "to" as a goal of motion, making interpretation context-dependent; disambiguation often relies on word order, aspect, or additional particles.

Typology and history: Dativeallativelike constructions are not widely attested as a standard category in mainstream grammars, but typologists note occasional cross-linguistic instances of case syncretism or allative-like postpositions that cover both recipients and directional goals. Diachronically, such markers may develop from separate dative and allative forms that become phonetically or semantically merged, a process called grammaticalization.

See also: dative case, allative case, applicative constructions, case syncretism.