Abstract

The term ‘instrumental’ denotes both a morphological case and the semantic value expressed by the Greek dative in order to designate the entity, normally inanimate, with which an agent performs an action. This value was expressed in Proto-Indo-European by the case called ‘instrumental’, which disappeared in Greek due to its morphological merging (syncretism) with the dative and locative cases. Mycenaean still retains instrumental desinences with their original functioning, at least in the plural.