ethical dative

noun

: a colloquial use of the dative of a pronoun for a person to whom it imputes a vague concern with the matter in question (such as German mir, literally "for me," in bleibe mir nur gesund, "I just hope you stay well")

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of ethical dative was in 1849

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ethical dative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethical%20dative. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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