Case syncretism of adjectives

Case syncretism is the paradigmatic synthesis of case; multiple case functions are marked by the same form.[1] Adjectival case syncretism is the phenomenon in which the inflected form of an adnominal adjective (i.e., an adjective in attributive function) can express two or more of the case functions attested in the nominal paradigm. For the purpose of this parameter, cases (specific case functions) are considered to be all inflectional categories in which at least some nominally and pronominally inflected forms differ from the rest of the paradigm. If adjectives can be inflected in multiple ways, the richest paradigm should be considered.

 

Types:

NoCase: The language does not use case marking.

NoAdjCase: Nouns are marked for case, but adnominal adjectives are not.

AdjNoSyncCase: Nouns are marked for case, and adnominal adjectives show case agreement, but the distribution of adjectival cases is identical to that of nouns; therefore, no specifically adjectival syncretism is present.

AdjSyncCase: Nouns are marked for case, adnominal adjectives show case agreement, and the distribution of adjectival cases differs from that of nouns; therefore, specifically adjectival syncretism is present.

 

[1] Compare to exponence, which is the syntagmatic synthesis of cases.