Definition & Meaning of "sociative case"

What is the "sociative case"?

The sociative case is a grammatical case used to indicate association or companionship, often expressing the idea of "with" or "together with." This case highlights a relationship between nouns, showing that one noun is accompanied by or related to another. The sociative case is found in some languages, such as Finnish and Estonian, where it modifies nouns to express this connection. For example, in Estonian, the word for "friend" changes from "sõber" to "sõbraga" to indicate "with a friend." The sociative case helps clarify relationships and interactions between different elements in a sentence.