genitive
1
7.7
- adjective
- /ˈdʒɛnɪtɪv/
- Specialized
:
genitivo
- The teacher explained that the genitive case indicates a close association, often using possessive pronouns like "his" and "her."
- genitive phrase
Examples
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We focus on specific genitive functions and tailor activities accordingly.
Academic text (2010) -
Bayer's system was to assign a lower-case Greek letter (alpha, beta, gamma, and so on) to each star he catalogued, combined with the Latin name of the star's parent constellation in genitive (possessive) form.
Blog text (1) -
In Dothraki, the genitive case is the default expression of alienable possession.
Blog text (3) -
And if you have a good repertoire of songs to draw from, you'll find it easier to remember such things as the genders of nouns or how to form the genitive and vocative cases.
Blog text (15) -
Aside from their aesthetic merit, the passages are chosen to illustrate a particular grammatical construction: the genitive case, reflexive verbs, the passive voice, the comparative.
Academic text (1994) -
In English, the genitive case is often signified by adding an apostrophe and 's' to show ownership, such as in "John's book."
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For many languages, understanding the genitive case is essential for grasping how possession is expressed grammatically.
Synonyms
5
4.2
A form that shows something belongs to someone, like 'my' or 'her'
Showing that something belongs to someone, for example 'his' or 'her'
Compounds
- Specialized
A noun with 's that shows who owns or is closely connected to something
- Specialized
A noun using the 's form before another noun to show who owns or is connected to it
- Specialized
A grammatical form that shows possession or a close relationship, usually shown with 's
Surface Forms
Morphology
genitive = genit + ive
The adjective is the same learned formation as the noun; the stem is not an independent English word and the grammatical sense is not transparently derived for typical learners.
Etymology
Genitive comes from Latin genitivus, from genus meaning 'birth' or 'kind', the same root you find in gene and generate. That is why a genitive form describes who or what something belongs to, showing possession or close relationship.