1. Definition
What is, Concept or Meaning
gram. —n. In Latin grammar, the ablative case is a grammatical case used to indicate the agent, instrument, or location of an action. The ablative case is used in conjuction with verbs and prepositions to indicate how something is being done, such as by whom, with what, or from where. The word “ablative” comes from the Latin word “ablatus,” which means “taken away” and the ablative case is so named because it often indicates a separation from something.
The ablative case is used to express a wide variety of meanings, such as agency, means, accompaniment, separation, location, and time. In Latin, the ablative case is formed by using specific inflections on nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. The ablative case has a set of prepositions and uses specific forms of adjectives and verbs that are used with the ablative case.
2. Etymology of ablative
The word “ablative” comes from the Latin word “ablatus”, meaning “taken away” or “removed”. The name of the case reflects the fact that it often indicates a separation or removal, such as indicating an action is being done away from something, or with a certain instrument or means. Other words which have the same etymology would be “ablative case”, “ablative absolute” which all came from the Latin “ablatus” indicating the idea of “taking away” or “removal”.
3. Examples of use
– He was killed by the soldier with the sword, the soldier being in the ablative case.
– The letter was written by me, “by me” being in the ablative case.
– The ship sailed from Rome, “from Rome” being in the ablative case.
4. Uses and Applications
The ablative case is commonly used in Latin grammar, and its use is central to understanding Latin syntax. It is also used in the study of other Indo-European languages, such as Ancient Greek, which also have an ablative case. In addition to its use in linguistics and classical studies, the concept of the ablative case is also used in certain fields such as computer programming to indicate a specific form or context.
Bibliography ►
Phoneia.com (January 11, 2023). Ablative. Recovered from https://phoneia.com/words/ablative/