— datival /day tuy"veuhl/ , adj. — datively , adv.
/day"tiv/ , Gram.
adj.
1. (in certain inflected languages, as Latin, Greek, and German) noting a case having as a distinctive function indication of the indirect object of a verb or the object of certain prepositions.
n.
2. the dative case.
3. a word or form in that case, as Latin regi in regi haec dicite meaning "tell this to the king."
[ 1400-50; late ME datif dativus ( casus ) dative (case), equiv. to dat ( us ) given (see DATE 1 ) + -ivus -IVE; trans. of Gk dotiké ( ptôsis ) ]