Benefactive case

The '''benefactive case''' (abbreviated {{sc|'''ben'''}}, or sometimes {{sc|'''b'''}} when it is a core argument) is a grammatical case typically used where English would use "for", "for the benefit of", or "intended for."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Case |url=https://universaldependencies.org/am/feat/Case.html |access-date=2026-02-21 |website=universaldependencies.org}}</ref> For instance, "She opened the door ''for Tom''" or "This book is ''for Bob''" would both be examples of benefactive case (although generally unmarked in English).

The benefactive case expresses that the referent of the noun it marks receives the benefit of the situation expressed by the clause. This meaning is often incorporated through dative case. In Latin, this type of dative is called the ''dativus commodi''.

== Cross-linguistic examples ==

=== Basque === Basque has a benefactive case ending in -''entzat,'' from the genitive -''en'' and essive -''tzat''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Buber's Basque Page: The Larry Trask Archive: A Linguistic Sketch of Basque |url=https://www.buber.net/Basque/Euskara/Larry/WebSite/basque.sketch.php |access-date=2026-02-21 |website=www.buber.net}}</ref>

=== Quechua === Quechua is another example of a language with the benefactive case. Some researchers have argued that the benefactive and genitive cases, both marked with the ending -paq, have become indistinguishable. The following example is from Cuzco Quechua:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Muysken |first=Pieter |date=2017 |title=Collapse of genitive and benefactive case in Ecuadorian Quechua? |url=https://spil.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/295 |journal=Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics |language=en |volume=48 |pages=255–260 |doi=10.5774/48-0-295 |issn=2223-9936|doi-access=free }}</ref> {{Interlinear|Pi-paq-taq chay punchu-ta-ri awa-sha-nki|Who-BEN-EMP that poncho-ACC-CNTR weave-PR-2SG|“For who are you weaving that poncho?” | indent = 3 }}

=== Tangkhul-Naga === Tangkhul-Naga (from the Tibeto-Burman group of languages) has the benefactive case marker ''{{IPA|-wiʋaŋ}}''. The case marker comes from the combining the genitive case marker -''wùi'' and the suffix -''vaη''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHAPTER 2 |url=http://www.ciil-ebooks.net/html/tangkhul/CHAPTER%202.htm |access-date=2026-02-21 |website=www.ciil-ebooks.net}}</ref>

=== Aymara === In Aymara, the benefactive case is marked with -''taki'', expressing that the referent of the inflected noun benefits from the situation expressed by the verb, or, when there is no verb, that the noun to which it attaches is a recipient, as in the word below:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coler |first=Matt |year=2015 |title=A Grammar of Muylaq' Aymara: Aymara as spoken in Southern Peru |series=Brill's Studies in the Indigenous Languages of the Americas |publisher=Brill |page=221 |isbn=978-9-00-428380-0}}</ref>

{{interlinear|indent=3 |top= khuchijanakatakiw. | khuchi -ja -naka -taki -w(a) | pig -1.POSS -PL -BEN -DECL | 'for my pigs'}}

=== Tamil === In Tamil, the benefactive case is shown using "உக்காக" (ukkaaka), showing that the predicate of the clause was done or intended for the inflected noun. When there is no verb, the clause means that the subject exists for the inflected noun.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mohan |first=Vidya |last2=Ranjan |first2=Rajiv |date=2024-08-20 |title=Chapter 2.4 Plurals and Case Suffixes |url=https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/basictamil/chapter/chapter-2-4-case-sufix-in-tamil/ |journal=Michigan State University |language=en}}</ref>

For example:

{{interlinear | indent = 3 | top = இந்த தோசை கண்ணனு'''க்காக''' செய்தேன்.|Intha thosai Kannan'''ukkaaka''' caeythaen.|I made this dosai '''for''' Kannan. }}

Benefactive meaning may also be marked on the verb, in a common type of applicative voice.

== Autobenefactive == An autobenefactive case marks a case where the agent and the benefactor are the same.

=== Examples === In Rhinelandic colloquial German, one finds expressions like: : ''{{lang|de|Ich rauch '''mer''' en Zigarett.}}'' (I smoke a cigarette for myself), where ''{{lang|de|mer}}'' (for myself) is optional.

In the Colognian language, there is a compulsory autobenefactive. For example, the verb ''{{lang|ksh|bedde}}'' (to pray) requires the benefactive when it is used intransitively: : ''{{lang|ksh|Hä deiht '''sesch''' bedde}}'' (He is praying).

Similarly, in French one can say, in informal but fully correct language: : ''{{lang|fr|Je '''me''' fume une cigarette. Je '''me''' fais une pause.}}'' (Literally: ''I (to) myself smoke a cigarette. I (to) myself do a pause.'')

Formally, those forms coincide with reflexives in these languages.

A similar construction is also found in colloquial English with a pronoun that is reflexive in function, but not form:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Personal datives {{!}} Yale Grammatical Diversity Project: English in North America |url=https://ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/personal-datives |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=ygdp.yale.edu}}</ref> : ''{{lang|en|I love '''me''' some chicken.}}''

==See also== * Ditransitive verb * Malefactive case * Genitive case

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{wti}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benefactive Case}} Category:Grammatical cases Category:Transitivity and valency