Re: What case is the inverse of the dative?

Well, danish actually has the "ability" to promote /the recipient/ from the place
of /indirect object/ to /subject/ ;-)

Observe!

The following is /active voice/ - meaning that /the agent/ is /the subject/.
(EITHER one could say:)
in danish:
jeg rækker bogen til hende
in english:
I hand the book to her
(OR one could say:
in danish:
jeg rækker hende bogen
in english:
I hand her the book)

(The following is /passive voice/ - meaning that /the patient/ is /the subject/.
EITHER one could say:
in danish:
bogen bliver rakt til hende af mig
in english:
the book is handed to her by me
OR one could say:
in danish:
bogen rækkes til hende af mig
in english:
'no equivalent')

The following voice I don't know the name of - but /the recipient/ is /the
subject/.
in danish:
hun får rakt bogen af mig
in english:
'no equivalent'

So, the basic structure is (in present tense):

agent as subject:
[agent + nominative = subject] {finite verb} [patient + oblique case = direct
object] [optional preposition (til) + recipient + oblique case = indirect object]

(patient as subject:
[patient + nominative case = subject] {auxiliary verb (bliver) + verb in past
participle} [obligatory preposition (til) + recipient + oblique case = indirect
object] [obligatory preposition (af) + agent + oblique case])

recipient as subject:
[recipient + nominative case = subject] {auxiliary verb (får) + verb in past
participle} [patient + oblique case = direct object] [obligatory preposition (af)
+ agent + oblique case]

However, there are certain verbs that are a bit different,
such as "at låne" = "to lend/borrow"; "at lære" = "to teach/learn"; "at give/få"
= "to give/get".


The way it seems in danish is that there is not a specific opposite of dative,
but rather there is a special marker for /the agent/ when it is not /subject/.

I don't know if this helps in any way... :-|

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