A secundative language is a language in which the recipients of ditransitive verbs (which takes a subject and two objects: a theme and a recipient) are treated like the patients (targets) of monotransitive verbs, and the themes get distinct marking.
In German, the prefix be- (which is sometimes likened to an applicative voice) can be used to change the valency of verbs in a similar way: In John schenkte Mary den Ball, the theme Ball is the direct object and the recipient Mary the indirect object (in the dative case); in John beschenkte Mary mit dem Ball, the recipient Mary is now the direct object and the theme Ball is now an oblique argument (an oblique dative) marked by the preposition mit.
This language type was called dechticaetiative in an article by Edward L. Blansitt, Jr.[1] (from Greek dekhomai 'take, receive' and an obscure second element, unlikely kaitoi 'and indeed'), but that term did not catch on.
Secundative constructions are found in West Greenlandic, where the direct object of a monotransitive verb appears in the absolutive case:[4] Piita-pPeter-ERG.SGtakornartaqstranger.ABS.SGtoqup-paakill-INT.3S/3SPiita-p takornartaq toqup-paaPeter-ERG.SG stranger.ABS.SG kill-INT.3S/3S'Did Peter kill the stranger?
English, which is primarily indirective, arguably contains secundative constructions, traditionally referred to as dative shift, however English is not a true secundative language, as neither the theme nor recipient is primary, or either can be primary depending on context.