====== Locative cases ======

[[Nûrlâm]] has a group of [[grammar_case|grammatical cases]] intended for marking locations and directions of movement (and also of sight and sound). They are collectively called **//Locative cases//**. They are similar to English [[adpositions|prepositions]] such as "in", "on", "at", "to", "from". Nûrlâm's system of locative cases is similar to that one of Uralic (Finno-Ugric) languages, but has one additional Intrative case (suffix //-ri//, similar to English preposition "between") which is rare in real-world languages. Locative cases usually transform the role of noun from [[syntax_object|object]] into [[syntax_adverbials|adverbial]].

{{page>include:locative_case_summary}}

English and many other languages has confusing rules on using prepositions indicating position. In Nûrlâm they are used only literally according to the summary table above (except some abstract nouns). So the usage of locative words may differ from English. For example, if you want say "He lives in Mordor", you should use suffix //-or// and not //-ishi// (both can be translated as "in"): "Takûl Uzgbûrz**or**". There may be still ambiguities, specially with objects describing almost flat locations on Earth's surface (like forest, farm, city), but usually they are treated the same as objects with 3-dimensional border (like room, body). Locative cases may refer groups of people (words like army, gang, Rohirrim, etc.).

Unlike other languages, locative words never express time in Nûrlâm, but some [[adpositions#prepositions|prepositions]] are used instead (together with [[case_accusative|Accusative]] case).

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===== Ablative case =====

**//Ablative case//** is formed by [[clitics|clitic]] postposition "-bo" for all [[declension classes]]. It can be translated with English prepositions "off" and "from". It is used to express motion from the object:

  * from the top of object, like falling: "He fell off the cliff" = "Talûmpuz fip**bo**";
  * from outside of object: "He came out of this place" = "Taskâtuz zin**bo**";
  * old owner of direct object, including taking off objects (clothes, tools, weapons) from body or hands to other surfaces or persons: "I took ring off his body" = "Dasnabuz ash nazg loiktab**bo**"; also used with expression "free from": "freedom from Dark Lord" => "sligurm Gothbûrz**bo**" ;
  * long distance from object (including static position) together with postposition "baub": "He is far from home" = "Ta mokh**bo** baub".

It should not be mixed with //Elative case// which has similar meaning (see below). Ablative is specially not used with geographical names.

===== Adessive case =====

**//Adessive case//** is formed by clitic postposition "-ir" for declension class I and "-zir" for declension class II. It can be translated into English with prepositions "on", "on top of", "at", "in". It usually marks static position of subject on the object, including:

  * static position on the surface: "The flea is sitting on my hair" = "Abhum duzâ zud**ir** dab";
  * static position on top of the object: "I left the ring on the table" = "Daranguz ash nazg dâlt**ir**";
  * motion of subject without leaving the surface (or top) of the object: "A louse is crawling on my skin" = "Ash abh smûghâ daft**ir** dab";
  * location on the road, street (including address), shore, bank of the river, etc.: "He lives on the streets" = "Takûl mûl**ir**";
  * position on the level/floor of the building or dungeon: "Let's meet on 2nd level of the tower" = "Gâkh hogat krulûrz tâl**ir** lugob";
  * position in close proximity of the object, together with postposition "mush" (near, next to, by): "He stands near our house" = "Tabin ozd**ir mush** dakob".

===== Allative case =====

**//Allative case//** is formed by clitic postposition //-u// for declension class I and //-zu// for declension class II. It can be translated with English prepositions "onto", "upon", "towards", "to". It's used to indicate general direction of movement with verbs like "go", "come", "return", "bring", etc:

  * motion towards surface or border of object: "Army is marching to the gates of Gondor!" = "Khothum thûkhâ hûm**u** Gunduzgob!";
  * motion from bottom to the top (including metaphors): "Fly to the sky!" = "Skoir nût**u**!";
  * motion outside, together with postposition //lût//, may be replaced with Elative case: "Get out of the room!" = "Ukh amb**u** lût!" = "Ukhodah!";
  * motion towards person: "Come to daddy!" = "Skât krank**u**!";

==== Overlaps with other cases ====

Please notice, that phrase "One does not simply walk into Mordor" should be translated with Illative case (see below), because getting inside is meant there, not just to the  borders of the region. "Fall into darkness" will be also translated with Illative case, while "Ascend to the light" with Allative.

Allative case can be also mixed with Adessive case, but difference is that "Takamduz dîlg**ir**" means "He was already on the roof when he started jumping" and "Takamduz dîlg**u**" means "He was on the ground and then jumped to the roof", while both can be loosely translated as "He jumped on the roof".

Allative case started used instead of [[case_dative|Dative]] in colloquial speech and some [[black_speech_dialects|dialects]] (as in Shadowlandian).

===== Elative case =====

**//Elative case//** is formed by clitic postposition //-ah// for declension class I and //-zah// for declension class II. It can be translated with English prepositions "out of", "from". Elative case usually marks:

  * motion from the place, region, geographical area: "I came from Mordor" = "Daskâtuz Uzgbûrz**ah**";
  * leaving closed area, room, building: "He escaped from the dungeon" = "Ta irzuz bagronk**ah**";
  * motion from inside of the object: "Blood is draining out of me" = "Ghor sirâ daz**ah**";
  * motion from the bottom, motion from object lying below the other: "I have climbed from the ground" = "Dagunguz ghâmp**ah**";
  * transformation of subject from material or object: "The city arose from the ashes" = "Goium tulguz hîsht**ah**", "He makes wine out of blood" = "Takramp mirb ghor**ah**" (compare with example of Illative case below);
  * material (interchangeable with [[case_genitive|Genitive case]]): "This ring is made of gold" = "Za nazg kulâ krampuga lûr**ah**";

===== Illative case =====

**//Illative case//** is the only locative case found in known Tolkien's material. It is formed by clitic postposition //-ishi// for declension class I and //-shi// for declension class II. It is usually translated with English prepositions "into", "inside", "inwards", "in", "within". Illative case always implies motion or transformation:

  * movement inside body, room, substance, etc., within its borders without leaving it: "Fish swims in the sea" = "Skab luntâ kârsh**ishi**";
  * motion to the inside of object (such as body, room, building, geographical region, etc.), entering, crossing the border: "One does not simply walk into Mordor" = "Ash narukhâ Uzgbûrz**ishi** ulsarz" = "Narpâsh ukhut Uzgbûrz**ishi** ulsarz", "An arrow hit into his chest" = "Ash pîl grushuzâ nirntab**ishi**", "I will enter the dungeon" = "Daukhub bagronk**ishi**";
  * motion to the bottom (including metaphorical): "I will fall into the darkness" = "Dalûmpub burzum**ishi**";
  * transformation into another form, transformation of material: "Troll turned to stone with sunlight" = "Olog raguzâ gund**ishi** dîlthîr", "He turns blood into wine" = "Tarag ghor mirb**ishi**" (compare with example of Elative case above)

===== Inessive case =====

**//Inessive case//** is formed by clitic postposition //-or// for declension class I and //-zor// for declension class II. It can be translated with English prepositions "in" and "at". Inessive case is used to denote:

  * static position in region, geographical area, room, building, etc.: "I live in Mordor" = "Dakûl Uzgbûrz**or**", "Killer is hiding in the shadows" = "Thrug fauthâ bath**or**"; 
  * the same with further clarification or accentuation with postposition "nâd": "The killer still stays in this house" = "Thrugum irnâ za ozd**or** nâd rad";
  * place of work: "I work in the stone pits" = "Dabul gundronk**or**";
  * in expressions like "good at", "superior in" with area of work, occupation: "He is good at fishing" = "Takul bhog skabaut**or**";
  * with impersonal constructions of possession like "There are 6 teeth in Gollum's mouth" = "(kulâ) Ink glok pug**or** Gollumob", "There are many stars in the sky" = "(kulâ) Mak ilz nût**or**";
  * to express location that is part of bigger object (similar to previous example): "with hate in his heart" = "mogsha tishtab**or**".

Inessive case is **not** used for indicating purpose or receiving a benefit ("in order to" -- gerundive; "in memory of", "in loving memory" -- [[case_dative|dative case]] instead).

===== Intrative case =====

**//Intrative case//** is rarely found in languages of real world. It is formed by clitic postposition //-ri// for both declension classes. It has basic meaning "between", "among", "amidst". If two objects are mentioned than "-ri" should be added to both nouns. Intrative case is used to express:

  * location between object in plural form: "Look between these (two) trees!" = "Hon krul ornza**ri**!";
  * the same but with two different objects: "Between the hammer and the anvil" = "drang**ri** agh ghond**ri**";
  * static position in the middle of region: "The lonely tree stands amidst the field" = "Ashûk orn binâ rîzum**ri**", may be replaced with expression "in the middle of": "The lonely tree stands in the middle of the field" = "Ashûk orn binâ nodum__or__ rîzum__ob__";
  * the state of subject within group of people: "I live among the orcs" = "Dakîb uruk-hai**ri**", but "A fish lives in the sea" will be "Ash skab kîbâ kârsh__or__";
  * motion between two locations or objects without crossing their border or surface: "He travels between cities" = "Tagab goi**ri**";

Please note that motion within the borders of location or surface of object is denoted with //Illative// case (see above).

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===== Other cases used as locative or confused with them =====

Some grammatical and marginal cases may be confused with certain locative cases due to their usage in English.

==== Genitive vs. Elative ====

As Elative case may be expressed with English compound preposition "out of", it may be confused with Genitive case. Elative case is used when "out of" may be replaced semantically with "from" (so, almost always). Any of these two cases may be used when applied to some material. Example: "Rise from the ashes" => "Tulg hîshtah" = "Tulg hîshtob".

==== Dative vs. Allative ====

[[case_dative|Dative case]] may be confused with Allative as they are both expressed with English preposition "to". For example, in Shadowlandian dialect Tolkien's ending "-u" was frequently used for Dative case ("-ûr" was used only with literal translation of preposition "for").

In Nûrlâm these are two distinct cases. If "to" can be replaced with "for" than Dative case should be used. Usually //dative// refers to persons, while //allative// to places. However the sentence "Bring the ring to Minas Morgul" may be translated with dative case too, if "Minas Morgul" is considered as referrer to Nazgûl: "Thrak nazgum Dushgoizu" or "Thrak nazgum Dushgoizûr".

==== Instrumental ====
English preposition "by" may refer to motion near or through the object, so it carries some locative functions. Static position near the object in Nûrlâm is expressed with Adessive case with additional postposition "mush" (next to, near). Motion near the borders of the object is expressed with Allative case with same postposition "mush".  Motion near or through the borders may be expressed with postposition "as" (across, along, through) with object in Accusative case. [[case_instrumental|Instrumental case]] **is** used with locative function together with postposition "tuk" (through): "They will go through the forest of shadows" = "Takukhub tau__rzi__ __tuk__ bathob".

==== Comitative case ====

[[case_comitative|Comitative case]] may denote a very close proximity of object and subject but with a tone of //alienable possession// and without exact location. For example in "Tabrus ash kirm îm__sha__" = "He has a knife with him(self)", suffix "-sha" shows primarily that knife is somewhere near the person's pocket or arm without stating exactly where, but also that person currently possess the knife but do not necessarily own it (may be borrowed or stolen).

==== Essive case ====

[[case_essive|Essive case]] is used in Uralic languages similarly to locative case but regarding to time (Finnish "maanantai__na__" = "on Monday"). Probably it was used as general locative case in ancient language ("koto__na__" = "at home"). In Nûrlâm the term "essive" used only for it's wider occurrence, while it's functions are closer to "similative" or "equative".

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===== Evolution of locative cases =====

Ancient Black Speech probably had a large number of locative cases expressed by postpositions, similar to Hungarian and various North-East Caucasian languages. Colloquial Debased Black Speech had none of them. The following stages of abandoning of locative cases occurred during transformation from Standard Nûrlâm to Colloquial:

  - Adessive (-ir) and Inessive (-or) cases had merged ending for declension class II into "-r" for both cases.
  - Illative case (-ishi) took the function of Adessive and Inessive.
  - Allative case (-u) started being used as Dative (as in [[black_speech_dialects#shadowlandian|Shadowlandian]]). 
  - Replacing locative case postpositions with prepositions and objects in accusative case, except for Tolkien's "-ishi" (Locative, combining Illative-Adessive-Inessive) and "-u" (Dative-Allative).
  - All locative cases abandoned, prepositions used instead.