Case and mood endings in semitic languages - myth or reality?

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In the context of Arabic and Semitic, it is natural to treat case and mood together, as Arab grammarians used the same terms for both independent and dependent forms. This volume primarily focuses on case in Semitic and Afroasiatic languages, addressing controversial data and discussions. Contributions include analyses of Akkadian, Hebrew, Arabic, Ethio-Semitic, Berber, and select Cushitic and Omotic languages. One paper explores the diachronic development of case and mimation in Akkadian, while another examines accepted and controversial aspects of case in Biblical Hebrew, suggesting reanalyses. A critical reading of al-Zaǧǧāǧī’s ʾĪḍāḥ is presented, alongside a summary of recent discussions on case in historical Arabic varieties. The volume also follows up on the topic of Proto-Semitic and Proto-Arabic case. Additionally, it delves into the complexities of defining case and state in Berber and the relevance of the “nominative” vs. “absolutive” distinction within a broader Afroasiatic context. The final paper concludes the volume with general discussions on the verbal system in Semitic, proposing a four-stage model.