genitive
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɛnɪtɪv/
enpr: jĕ'nətĭv
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɛnətɪv/
Forms: form: genitives
form: genetive
Etymology: The adjective is derived from Late Middle English genetif (“pertaining to the genitive case; pertaining to the generation of offspring”) + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘relating or belonging to’ forming adjectives). Genetif is from Anglo-Norman genetif, genitif, and Middle French genetif, genitif (“pertaining to the generation of offspring, procreative; (grammar) pertaining to the genitive case”) (modern French génitif), and from their etymon Latin genetīvus (“pertaining to the generation of offspring; (grammar) pertaining to the genitive case”) (whence Late Latin genitivus), from genitus (“begotten, engendered; produced”) + -īvus (suffix meaning ‘doing’ or ‘related to doing’ forming adjectives). Genitus is the perfect passive participle of gignō (“to beget, give birth to; to produce, yield”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget, give birth; to produce”).
Latin genetīvus cāsus (or cāsus genetīvus, cāsus genitīvus (literally “grammatical case pertaining to birth or origin”)), was used to translate Koine Greek γενῐκή πτῶσις (genĭkḗ ptôsis, literally “inflection expressing a genus or kind”) which actually means “generic case”, though it refers to what is now called the genitive case.
The noun is derived from Late Middle English genetif (“genitive case”), from the adjective (see above). Compare Middle French genitif (modern French génitif) and Latin genetīvus (short for genetīvus cāsus (“genitive case”)).
Senses: examples: text: Nounes, Pronounes, and Participles are declin'd vvith ſix Endings, vvhich are called Caſes, both in the Singular and Plural Number. The Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accuſative, Vocative, and Ablative. […] The Genitive is Engliſht vvith this Sign of, as Libri of a Book.
ref: 1669, J[ohn] M[ilton], “Of Cases”, in Accedence Commenc’t Grammar, […], to Attain the Latin Tongue; […], London: […] S[amuel] Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 3:
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: Ellipsis of genitive case (“a grammatical case used to express a relationship of origin or possession”).
examples: text: This one vvord familia joyn'd vvith pater, mater, filius, or filia, endeth the Genitive in as, as pater familias, but ſomtimes familiæ.
ref: 1669, J[ohn] M[ilton], “Of Nouns”, in Accedence Commenc’t Grammar, […], to Attain the Latin Tongue; […], London: […] S[amuel] Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 5:
text: This older kind of genetive [i.e., the direct genetive] is apparently expressed only by the position of the two substantives, in which the governing word stands before the governed: pr:Z1-i-mn:n-A40 pr i̓mn "House of Amon."
ref: 1894, Adolf Erman, “Nouns”, in James Henry Breasted, transl., Egyptian Grammar […], London; Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate, […], →OCLC, § 122*, page 49:
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: A word inflected in the genitive case, and which thus indicates origin or possession.
Derived terms: adverbial genitive
group genitive
headless genitive
independent genitive
partitive genitive
periphrastic genitive
post-genitive
Saxon genitive
subjective genitive
substantive genitive