What is "ethical dative"

Ethic \Eth"ic\, Ethical \Eth"ic*al\,

1. [L. ethicus, Gr. ?, fr. ? custom, usage, character, dwelling; akin to ? custom, Goth. sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh?, pro

2. 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.

   The ethical meaning of the miracles.
   --Trench.

   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?

alt. (context grammar English) a form of the dative case applied to pronouns; used (in Latin and some other languages, but rare in English) to show a certain interest felt by the person indicated. n. (context grammar English) a form of the dative case applied to pronouns; used (in Latin and some other languages, but rare in English) to show a certain interest felt by the person indicated.