laboratiiv

Laboratiiv is a term used in linguistic descriptions to denote a grammatical category that marks instrumentality or means by which an action is performed. In languages that have or are described as having a laboratiiv, the noun or pronoun involved in the action may take a distinct form in this case, with a meaning similar to instrumental or comitative functions found in other languages.

The primary function of the laboratiiv is to indicate the tool, means, or method by which an action is carried out. It can also appear in broader senses such as marking accompaniment or the manner in which something is done. The exact semantic scope and cross-linguistic fit of the laboratiiv vary, and in some linguistic descriptions the same idea may be analyzed as a specialized instrumental or comitative function rather than as a separate case.

Morphology and distribution vary by language. The laboratiiv is not a universal feature of language and is attested only in a limited set of languages or in historical/dialectal descriptions. When it exists, it may be realized through suffixes, postpositions, or other morpho-syntactic means. In many modern standard grammars, instrument or means is expressed by other cases or by adpositional phrases rather than a distinct laboratiiv.

In scholarly literature, laboratiiv is used to classify observed instrument-related forms and is often discussed alongside instrumental and comitative categories. Its status as a separate case is not universal and differs across languages, making it more of a descriptive label in typological and historical studies than a widely taught feature of contemporary grammar. See also: instrumental case, comitative case, Finno-Ugric languages.