iránydativus

Iránydativus, also known as the dative case, is a grammatical case used in many languages to indicate the recipient of an action. It is one of the eight traditional grammatical cases, along with the nominative, genitive, accusative, vocative, ablative, and instrumental cases. The term "iránydativus" is derived from the Latin words "in" (towards) and "dare" (to give), reflecting its original function in indicating the recipient of a gift.

In Hungarian, the dative case is used to express various relationships, such as the indirect object of a verb, the possessor in a partitive relationship, and the goal or beneficiary of an action. For example, in the sentence "A könyvet a fiúnak adtam" (I gave the book to the boy), "a fiúnak" is in the dative case, indicating that the boy is the recipient of the action.

The dative case in Hungarian is formed by adding the suffix "-nak" or "-nek" to the noun stem, depending on the vowel harmony rules of the language. For example, the dative form of "könyv" (book) is "könyvnek," and the dative form of "fiú" (boy) is "fiúnak."

While the dative case is not as commonly used in modern Hungarian as it was in the past, it remains an important aspect of the language's grammar. Its study is essential for understanding the language's historical development and for mastering its complex case system.