genitive

pronunciation

How to pronounce genitive in British English: UK [ˈdʒenətɪv] word uk audio image

How to pronounce genitive in American English: US [ˈdʒɛnɪtɪv] word us audio image

Word Origin

genitive (adj.): late 14c., in reference to the grammatical case, from Old French genitif or directly from Latin (casus) genitivus "case expressing possession, source, or origin," from genitivus "of or belonging to birth," from genitus (past participle of gignere; see genital); misused by Latin grammarians to render Greek genike (ptosis) "the general or generic (case)," expressing race or kind, genikos also meaning "belonging to the family" (see genus). The noun meaning "the genitive case in grammar" is from 1610s. The Latin genitivus is a mere blunder, for the Greek word genike could never mean genitivus. Genitivus, if it is meant to express the case of origin or birth, would in Greek have been called gennetike, not genike. Nor does the genitive express the relation of son to father. For though we may say, "the son of the father," we may likewise say, "the father of the son." Genike, in Greek, had a much wider, a much more philosophical meaning. It meant casus generalis, the general case, or rather the case which expresses the genus or kind. This is the real power of the genitive. If I say, "a bird of the water," "of the water" defines the genus to which a certain bird belongs; it refers to the genus of water-birds. [Max Müller, "Lectures on the Science of Language," 1861]

3. The fact that the genitive absolute is used mainly in the narrative portions , only denotes that the latter were more freely translated ; besides , hebrew possesses an analogous grammatical construction .

4. With a study of teacher 's label in terms of its genitive features , presentation and functions , the authors clarify its double significance and reevaluate the relation between teacher 's label and individual education , and that between teacher 's label and equal education opportunity .