Case

The term case has traditionally been restricted to apply to only those languages which indicate certain functions by the inflection of:

• nouns
• pronouns
• noun phrase constituents, such as adjectives and numerals

The term is sometimes extended to include such functions expressed by adpositions.

(Latin)

The Latin sentences Canis hominem mordet ‘Dog bites man’ and Canem homo mordet ‘Man bites dog’, illustrate that differing case endings express the differing functions of the nouns in Latin.

(Japanese)

In the following sentence, case is indicated by the case markers ga, ni, and o:

• John ga Mary ni hon o yatta
• John NOMINATIVE Mary DATIVE book ACCUSATIVE gave
• ‘John gave Mary a book.’