illativecase

The illative case is a grammatical case used to mark movement toward the interior of a referent, typically expressing the meaning “into” or “toward the inside of.” It is part of the locative system in several languages and is distinct from other directional cases such as inessive (in), elative (out of), allative (onto), and translative (into a state).

In languages that have it, the illative is usually expressed by a suffix attached to the noun, with the exact form depending on the language and phenomena such as vowel harmony. It commonly appears in Finno-Ugric languages, most notably Finnish and Estonian, where it marks a destination or entry. For example, in Finnish, taloon conveys “into the house.” In Estonian, majja is used for “into the house.” In both languages, the illative interacts with other locative cases to form a full directional system.

Function and scope: the illative is primarily spatial, indicating movement or direction toward the interior of a place or container. It can also extend to metaphorical or figurative uses, such as entering a field of study or a new role, depending on the language and context. Some languages may render similar meanings with prepositions or postpositions rather than a dedicated illative case.

Typology and variation: illative systems vary across languages. Some have clear illative suffixes, while others rely on alternative grammatical strategies to express the same directional meaning. The illative is often taught alongside other locative cases as part of a language’s directional paradigm. See also locative case, inessive, elative, allative, translative.