Genitive

The genitive is a grammatical case that indicates possession, origin, relationship, or a characteristic. It typically answers the question "whose?" or "of what?" The genitive case modifies a noun and often involves changes in word form, or the use of prepositions. Languages with genitive cases use them to express ownership (the dog's bone), origin (a man of Kent), part-whole relationships (the top of the mountain), and subjective or objective relationships (love of music). The genitive is crucial for clarity in conveying these nuances in sentence structure and meaning.

Genitive meaning with examples

• The scholar's extensive library was known throughout the region. Here, 'scholar's' uses the genitive to show possession, clarifying that the library belongs to the scholar and highlighting the scholar's ownership. Without the genitive, the sentence's meaning would be less precise and imply a general association.
• The city's vibrant culture attracted tourists from all over the world. 'City's' indicates the culture belongs to the city, establishing a clear relationship. This genitive construction emphasizes the city as the source of the cultural vibrancy, making the statement impactful.
• In many cultures, the love of music is seen as a common bond between people. 'Love of music' is a genitive construction indicating the subject of the love. The phrase shows the relationship; it's not just any love, but the love centered on music, its presence and effect.
• The ruins of the ancient empire stood as a testament to its former glory. 'Of the ancient empire' acts as a genitive phrase describing the origin of the ruins, indicating the empire as the origin and creator of the ruins, which convey the glory.
• The child's laughter filled the room with joy, illustrating his positive emotions and showing that the laughter belongs to the child. The 'child's' functions as the genitive case and clarifies the emotional state that the child experienced.