samotnému

Samotnému is the dative singular form of the Slovak adjective samotný, meaning solitary, lone, or by oneself. It is used with masculine and neuter nouns in the dative case. The feminine dative form of the same adjective is samotnej. As a result, samotnému appears in phrases that describe to or for a single person or thing, often with a nuance of isolation or emphasis on the subject.

In usage, samotný functions as an attributive or predicative adjective. It can express that something is directed toward or concerns a solitary recipient, or that a state applies to that recipient. For example, in a sentence like Pomohol som samotnému človeku, samotnému modifies človeku in the dative to indicate the recipient of the help. Another example is Kniha bola určená samotnému dieťaťu, where samotnému dieťaťu shows the indirect object being targeted.

Etymology and related forms: samotný derives from the root sám, meaning “one oneself,” with the typical Slavic adjective suffixes, and is closely related to the Czech samotný. The feminine form in the same sentence is samotná (nominative) with the dative form samotnej.

See also: samotný, samota, osamotný. The term is primarily a standard part of Slovak grammar and appears in both everyday language and literary contexts to emphasize individuality or isolation of the recipient.