ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the non-core relations that can be held by nominals. In most Australian languages these relations are expressed via a case system. Even those prefixing languages that do not distinguish the core relations by case usually have cases for the non-core relations, though some have postpositions. A survey of case markers and adpositions in Aboriginal Australia reveals that almost all languages distinguish the following relations with nouns: absolutive, dative, locative, ablative and instrumental. Most languages have two layers of case-like suffixes. The outer layer corresponds to the case systems of the classical languages while the inner layer is essentially adnominal. Adpositions, that is prepositions and postpositions, are used in some of the non-Pama-Nyungan languages of the north. In Tiwi, for instance, a language lacking case marking, there are two prepositions, ka(ghi) and kapi. The dative suffix is very often -ku and this is one of the most widespread grammatical root in Australian languages.
