Uses of the Dative

1
Uses of the Dative

• George M. Kaupp
• Cardinal Newman School
• Latin III

2
Dative of Indirect Object

• Used to tell to whom something is told, shown, or
  given
• Used with verbs of giving, showing, or telling
• Dative is most often a noun of person
• Examples
• Agricola fabulas liberis narravit.
• The farmer told stories to his children.
• Picturam amico monstravi.
• I showed the picture to my friend.
• Dives cibum pauperibus dedit.
• The rich man gave food to the poor people.

3
Dative with adjectives

• Often used to complete the meaning of certain
  adjectives
• Six categories of adjectives
• Friendliness amicus, inimicus
• Galli inimici Romanis erant. The Gauls were
  unfriendly to the Romans.
• Nearness/proximity proximus, propinquus
• Templum proximum flumini constituerunt. They set
  up the temple next to the river.
• Likeness similis, dissimilis
• Leges Romanae erant dissimiles legibus
  Germanicis. Roman laws were dissimilar to
  Germanic laws.
• Fitness/appropriateness aptus, idoneus
• Exploratores locum idoneum castris invenerunt.
  The scouts came upon a location suitable for a
  camp.
• Usefulness utilis
• Aqua pura utilis bibendo est. Clean water is
  useful for drinking.
• Thankfulness/pleasingness gratus
• Leges durae gratae plebibus non erant. The harsh
  laws were not pleasing to the common people.

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Dative with Compound verb

• Often used as the object of a compound verba
  verb that has a preposition attached to its front
• Prepositions involved include ad, ante, circum,
  cum (com), in, inter, ob, post, prae, pro, sub,
  super
• Examples
• Caesar legatum exercitui praefecit. Caesar placed
  the envoy in charge of the army.
• Proditor pudori pecuniam anteponit. The traitor
  placed money before honor.

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Dative of Direct Object

• Used as the direct object of many intransitive
  Latin verbs that translate into English as
  transitive
• These verbs (in Latin) often have meanings that
  include the word to
• Verb examples credo (to believe, to give trust
  to) noceo (to harm, to do harm to) faveo (to
  favor, to give favor to) etc.
• Examples
• Pater puero non credidit. The father did not
  believe his son.
• Virum malum viris nocuit. The bad virus harmed
  the men.

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Dative of Purpose

• Tells why something is done
• Often used with the verb esse
• Dative is most often a thing
• Examples
• Caesar praesidio legiones relinquit. Caesar left
  behind legions as a guard (for the purpose of
  being a guard).
• Hostes receptui tubas cecinerunt. The enemy
  sounded the trumpets for a retreat.

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Dative of Reference

• Tells for whom something refers or is true
• Often used with the verb esse
• Dative is most often a person
• Examples
• Illa erit mihi semper dea. She will always be a
  goddess to me.
• Tua soror est cura tibi. Your sister is a concern
  to you.

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Double Dative Construction

• Occurs when the datives of purpose and reference
  are used in the same sentence
• Example
• Imperator auxilio plebibus cibum misit. The
  commander sent food as an aid to the plebs.

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Dative of Possession

• Tells to whom or to what something belongs
• Used with the verb esse
• Example
• Hic liber mihi est. This book is to me. (This
  book is mine./This is my book.)
• Mihi nomen est Marcus. My name is Marcus.

10
Dative of Agency

• Used with gerundive and esse (passive
  periphrastic) construction to show who did/needs
  to do something
• Example
• Auxilium Caesari mittendum est.
• Help must be sent by Caesar. (Caesar must send
  help.)

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Dative of Direction

• Used mostly in poetry
• Indicates direction of motion
• Example
• Clamores hominum caelis eunt.
• The shouts of the men go to the heavens.