ethical dative

1 definition found

ethical dative - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Ethic \Eth"ic\, Ethical \Eth"ic*al\, a. [L. ethicus, Gr. ?, fr.
     ? custom, usage, character, dwelling; akin to ? custom, Goth.
     sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh?, prob. orig., one's own doing;
     sva self + dh? to set: cf. F. ['e]thique. See So, Do.]
     Of, or belonging to, morals; treating of the moral feelings
     or duties; containing percepts of morality; moral; as, ethic
     discourses or epistles; an ethical system; ethical
     philosophy.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The ethical meaning of the miracles.     --Trench.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Ethical dative (Gram.), a use of the dative of a pronoun to
        signify that the person or thing spoken of is regarded
        with interest by some one; as, Quid mihi Celsus agit? How
        does my friend Celsus do?
        [1913 Webster]