Case Marking in Daghestanian

AbstractThis article provides an overview of case systems in Daghestanian languages. First, it describes classification of the Nakh-Daghestanian, of which Daghestanian is a regional subset (rather than a genetic subgroup). In most Nakh-Daghestanian languages, declension mostly follows a two-stem pattern: all cases except nominative are derived from a common stem called oblique, while the nominative case is derived from a direct stem and is most often formally identical to it (thus being zero marked). The oblique stem is derived from the direct stem by adding various morphemes called oblique stem markers. A rare typological feature of the Daghestanian languages is the presence of an agreement position in some case markers, including genitives in human noun declension in Bagvalal (controlled by the class of the head) or affective in Andi and Tukita Karata and some locative forms in Dargwa and Lak. This article also describes case marking in Daghestanian languages as well as non-local cases, spatial forms, place names and natural locations, adnominal and predicative possession, and instrumental case.