Case-marking in Semitic in the light of the evidence in the Ethiopian language area

Abstract Languages in the Ethiopian language area typically exhibit a two-case system from a morphological point of view. This paper discusses the question as to how this observation can be aligned with the circumstance that, for Semitic in general, a three-case system is usually reconstructed. It will be argued that case endings can also emerge in a secondary process, as is widely recognised in typological linguistics, and that the cyclicity observed in this context can well be framed in terms of processes of linguistic convergence and divergence. Thereby, both the morphological aspects of case as well as the thematic roles of case will be discussed.