Accusative Case vs Locative Case

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DooDoot
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Accusative Case vs Locative Case

Post by DooDoot »

Dear friends

I am reading about Accusative Case vs Locative Case in relation to verbs and hoping for a pearl of wisdom to help clarify the difference.

I did read the following about the locative case:
Though fundamentally the loc. denotes just where, i.e. the place where an action takes place and thus appears to express a static notion, it is nevertheless capable of having a dynamic import as when it signifies the aim reached with verbs of motion and allied meaning, being in most such instances parallel to the acc.

Verbs having just the opposite sense, of doubting, being unsettled or not, clear in mind, suspecting and being disgusted.

https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/ ... cative.htm
As an example, SN 22.59 says:
Seeing this, a learned noble disciple becomes disillusioned with form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

Evaṃ passaṃ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati.
Examining the Pali above, the case for the nouns (rūpa, vedanā, etc) appears to be "locative". The verb is "nibbindati" ("becomes disillusioned").

While I can rote read the theory; is there a succinct reason why some verbs are placed with the accusative case & others with the locative case.

Thank you

:smile:
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Dhammanando
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Re: Accusative Case vs Locative Case

Post by Dhammanando »

DooDoot wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 9:17 pm While I can rote read the theory; is there a succinct reason why some verbs are placed with the accusative case & others with the locative case.
With transitive verbs (those which take an object)...

1. The case governed by some verbs will be grounded in semantic considerations. For example, with the bitransitive verb dadāti ("to give") the direct object (i.e. the gift) will be in the accusative and the indirect object (the recipient of the gift) will be in the dative.
Evaṃ dadanti ñātīnaṃ, ye honti anukampakā,
Suciṃ paṇītaṃ kālena, kappiyaṃ pānabhojanaṃ.

Thus those who are compassionate
give to their departed relatives,
at the right time, pure, excellent,
suitable drink and food.
Dative: ñātīnaṃ, relatives.
Accusative: suciṃ paṇītaṃ ... kappiyaṃ pānabhojanaṃ, pure, excellent, suitable drink and food

2. With other verbs it's merely a grammatical convention that this verb governs this case and that verb governs that case. Semantically there's no discernible reason for it.

3. Sometimes it's uncertain whether a verb is an example of #1 or #2.

4. Some verbs are inconsistent with regard to which case they govern. For example, the object of dubbhati (to injure) will sometimes be in the locative and sometimes in the dative (and for no obvious reason).

In the case of nibbindati I would be inclined to class it as #3.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
binocular
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Re: Accusative Case vs Locative Case

Post by binocular »

DooDoot wrote: Wed May 09, 2018 9:17 pmWhile I can rote read the theory; is there a succinct reason why some verbs are placed with the accusative case & others with the locative case.
Also see:
Government (rection)
Case government
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figurehigh1
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Re: Accusative Case vs Locative Case

Post by figurehigh1 »

In analysis:

evaṃ ; adverb thus
passaṃ, present participle of passati, nom, sgl, m; seeing
bhikkhave, voc, pl, m; monks
sutavā , nom, sgl m; (lit: a hearer) one learned in the scriptures
ariya+sāvako, nom, sgl m; noble disciple
rūpasmim’pi, loc sgl, nt; form
vedanāya’pi (inst, abl, dat, gen, loc) sgl, f; feeling
saññāya’pi (inst, abl, dat, gen, loc) sgl, f; perception
saṅkhāresu’pi loc, pl, m; conditions
viññāṇasmim’pi loc sgl nt; awareness
nibbindati, 3rd pres, sgl pres, active; he gets weary of

seeing thus, the learned noble disciple he gets weary of…
(being located in) form, feeling, perception, conditions & awareness

I think the choice of locative here is semantic.

The speaker doesn’t mean becomes weary:
'of’ (dative) or
‘by’, ‘due to’ (instrumental)

But being located in….

Perhaps?
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