In
grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...
, the translative case (
abbreviated ) is a
grammatical case
A grammatical case is a category of nouns and noun modifiers (determiners, adjectives, participles, and Numeral (linguistics), numerals) that corresponds to one or more potential grammatical functions for a Nominal group (functional grammar), n ...
that indicates a change in state of a noun, with the general sense of "becoming ''X''" or "change to ''X''".
In
Finnish, it is the counterpart of the
essive case, with the basic meaning of a change of state. It is also used for expressing "in (a language)", "considering it is a (status)" and "by (a time)". Its ending is ''-ksi'':
* ''pitkä'' "long", ''venyi pitkäksi'' "(it) stretched long"
* ''englanti'' "English", ''En osaa sanoa tätä englanniksi'' "I can't say this in English"
* ''pentu'' "cub", ''Se on pennuksi iso'' "For a cub, it is big"
* ''musta aukko'' "black hole", ''(muuttui) mustaksi aukoksi'' "(turned into) a black hole"
* ''kello kuusi'' "(at) six o' clock", ''kello kuudeksi'' "by six o' clock"
Examples in
Estonian, where the ending is ''-ks'':
* ''pikk'' "long", ''venis pikaks'' "(it) stretched long"
* ''must auk'' "black hole", ''(muutus/muundus) mustaks auguks'' "(turned into) a black hole"
* ''kell kuus'' "(at) six o' clock", ''kella kuueks'' "by six o' clock"
In Estonian, translative can also express a temporary or random state. E.g. while a nominative construction would indicate working in a job or profession, as ''olen koolis õpetaja'' "I'm a teacher in a school", a similar sentence using translative ''olen koolis õpetajaks'' "I work as a teacher in a school" hints at it either being a temporary position, the speaker not being fully qualified, or some other factor of impermanency.
Saav kääne
(Translative case), Eesti keele käsiraamat (The Handbook of Estonian Language), Eesti Keele Instituut, 2007
In Hungarian, the ending is -vá / -vé after a vowel; it assimilates to the final consonant otherwise:
* ''só'' "salt", ''Lót felesége sóvá változott'' "Lot's wife turned into salt"
* ''fiú'' "boy; son" ''fiává fogad'' "adopt as one's son"
* ''bolond'' "fool" ''bolonddá tett engem'' "He made a fool out of me."
Further reading
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References
Grammatical cases
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