Abstract
<jats:p>Case systems are dynamic; they develop over time due to various internal and external factors. This chapter investigates the intricacies of case change, analyzing the mechanisms via which case systems arise, develop, and disappear. We examine several theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding the mechanisms and reasons driving change in cases. Key processes of case change addressed include: phonological erosion and analogical leveling, which may result in the reduction or loss of case distinctions; grammaticalization and reanalysis, which can generate new case markers from adpositions or autonomous words; syntactic reorganization, including changes in word order or argument structure, which alters case‐marking patterns; language contact, wherein contact between languages with different case systems stimulates case change; and semantic and pragmatic factors, which can propel the broadening or narrowing of case functions. We argue that variation and change in cases should be understood as a complex dynamic shaped by the interaction of different pressures. Moreover, changes in case marking are frequently closely linked with more general changes in the clause structure and information structure. Through integration of insights and synthesis of results from previous research, we seek to deliver a coherent account of the subtle forces at play in the evolution of case systems across languages.</jats:p>