a. [a. Fr. accusatif, -ive, ad. L. accūsātīv-us, lit. of the nature of accusation, a verbal rendering of the Gr. (πτῶσις) αἰτιᾱτική (the case) ‘of accusing,’ but also ‘of or pertaining to that which is caused or effected (τό αἰτιᾱτόν)’; hence, prop. the case of the effect, or thing directly affected by verbal agency.]
1. Grammar. In inflected languages the name of the case whose primary function was to express destination or the goal of motion; hence the case which follows prepositions implying motion towards, and expresses the object of transitive verbs, i.e., the destination of the verbal action; sometimes applied, in uninflected languages, to the relation in which the object stands, as shown by its position alone. By omission of the word case, accusative is commonly used substantively.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom. (1879), 417. The fourte case is accusatif case.
a. 1535. More, Confut. Barnes, VIII. 742/1 (1557). Some vnlearned vse thys worde learne for thys worde teache, with his accusatyue case set oute, as Richarde learneth Robert.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. i. 45. Evans. Well, what is your Accusatiue case? William. Accusatiuo hinc.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Orthogr. Brit. Tong., 29 (1865). The accusative hath noe other noat then the nominative; as, the head governes the bodie.
1751. Harris, Hermes, II. iv. 283 (1786). The Accusative is that Case, which to an efficient Nominative and a Verb of Action subjoins either the Effect or the passive Subject.
1879. J. A. H. Murray, Address to Philol. Soc., 60. The use of the Accusative to supply a Nominative, originally wanting in neuter nouns, is probably connected with the appearance of the passive voice in the verb.
† 2. (From ACCUSE v.) Pertaining, tending or addicted to accusation; accusatory. Obs. rare.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 84 (1841). The elefnte [degree] is accusatyf confessyon of iniquite of whiche ful noyous is the noyis.
a. 1576. Sir E. Dering, Speeches, 112 (T.). This hath been a very accusative age.
1641. ‘Smectymnuus,’ Vindic. Answ. ‘Humb. Remonst.,’ § 13, 168. Episcopacy and their Cathedrals, with whom it is now the Accusative age.
