Dative of Separation

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381. Many verbs of taking away and the like take the dative (especially of a person) instead of the Ablative of Separation (§ 401).

Such are compounds of ab, , ex, and a few of ad.

Aureum dētrāxit amiculum. (N. D. 3.83)
He took from him his cloak of gold.

Hunc mihi terrōrem ēripe. (Cat. 1.18)
Take from me this terror.

Vītam adulēscentibus vīs aufert. (Cat. M. 71)
Violence deprives young men of life.

Nihil enim tibi dētrāxit senātus. (Fam. 1.5 B)
For, the senate has taken nothing from you.

Nec mihi hunc errōrem extorquērī volō. (Cat. M. 85)
Nor do I wish this error wrested from me.

Note— The Dative of Separation is a variety of the Dative of Reference. It represents the action as done to the person or thing, and is thus more vivid than the ablative.

a. The distinct idea of motion requires the ablative with a preposition—thus generally with names of things426.1).

Illum ex perīculō ēripuit (B. G. 4.12)
He dragged him out of danger.

Note— Sometimes the dative of the person and the ablative of the thing with a preposition are both used with the same verb.

Mihi praeda dē manibus ēripitur. (Verr. 2.1.142)
The booty is wrested from my hands.

Suggested Citation

Meagan Ayer, Allen and Greenough’s New Latin Grammar for Schools and Colleges. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-947822-04-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/grammar/latin/dative-separation