In grammar, the terminative or terminalis case (abbreviated TERM) is a case specifying a limit in space and time and also to convey the goal or target of an action.^[1]

Assamese

In the Assamese language, the terminative case is indicated by the suffix -(অ)লৈকে -(o)loike:

Bashkir

In the Bashkir language, the terminative case is indicated by the suffix -ğasa/-gäsä/-qasa/-käsä:

However, postpositions тиклем (tiklem), хәтлем (xätlem), ҡәҙәр (qäðär) 'till, up to' are more frequently used in Bashkir to convey this meaning.

Classical Hebrew

T.J. Meek has argued that "the so-called locative hē" in Classical Hebrew "is terminative only and should be renamed terminative hē."^[2]

Estonian

In the Estonian language, the terminative case is indicated by the '-ni' suffix:

• jõeni: 'to the river'/'as far as the river'
• kella kuueni: 'until six o'clock'

Hungarian

The Hungarian language uses the '-ig' suffix.

• a házig: 'as far as the house'
• hat óráig/hatig: 'until six o'clock'

If used for time, it can also show how long the action lasted.

• hat óráig: 'for six hours'/'six hours long'
• száz évig: 'for a hundred years'

It is not always clear whether the thing in terminative case belongs to the interval in question or not.

• A koncertig maradtam.: 'I stayed until the concert (ended or started?)' Here it is more likely that the person only stayed there until the concert began.
• Mondj egy számot 1-től 10-ig!: 'Say a number from 1 to (until) 10.' However here 10 can be said as well.

The corresponding question word is meddig?, which is simply the question word mi? ('what?') in terminative case.

Sumerian

In Sumerian, the terminative case -še not only was used to indicate end-points in space or time but also end-points of an action itself such as its target or goal. In this latter role, it functioned much like an accusative case.

Finnish

The use of the postposition asti (or synonymously saakka) with the illative (or allative or sublative) case in Finnish very closely corresponds to the terminative. These same postpositions with the elative (or ablative) case also express the opposite of a terminative: a limit in time or space of origination or initiation.

Japanese

The Japanese particle まで (made) acts like a terminative case.

See also

• Cessative aspect
• Desiderative mood
• List of grammatical cases

Further reading

• Anhava, Jaakko (2015). "Criteria For Case Forms in Finnish and Hungarian Grammars". journal.fi. Helsinki: Finnish Scholarly Journals Online.

References