genitive
|gen-i-tive|
C1
/ˈdʒɛnɪtɪv/
possession
Etymology
Etymology Information
'genitive' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'genitivus', where 'gen-' meant 'birth' or 'origin'.
Historical Evolution
'genitivus' transformed into the Old French word 'genitif', and eventually became the modern English word 'genitive'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'pertaining to birth or origin', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'indicating possession'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or denoting a case of nouns and pronouns (and words in grammatical agreement with them) indicating possession or close association.
In English, the genitive case is often marked by the possessive 's' as in 'the cat's toy'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45