genitive

Of a grammatical case: in an inflected language (such as Greek or Latin), expressing that a thing denoted by a word is related to a thing denoted by another word as its origin or possessor; and in an uninflected language (such as English), expressing origin or possession; possessive.

Adjective

  1. Of a grammatical case: in an inflected language (such as Greek or Latin), expressing that a thing denoted by a word is related to a thing denoted by another word as its origin or possessor; and in an uninflected language (such as English), expressing origin or possession; possessive.
    • dependent genitive
    • independent genitive
    • The student who had taken a German exam realised his error afterwards. He had used the dative case instead of the genitive case to show possession.

    Coordinate Terms: comitative proprietive

  2. Of, pertaining to, or used in the genitive case.
  3. Of or pertaining to the generation of offspring; generative, procreative, reproductive.

    Synonyms: progenitive

Origin

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...

Forms

genetive

Related

genital progenitive progeny

Derived

genitival genitivally genitive absolute genitive-accusative genitive case genitively nongenitive philogenitive philogenitiveness

Noun

  1. Ellipsis of genitive case (“a grammatical case used to express a relationship of origin or possession”).
    • 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...
  2. A word inflected in the genitive case, and which thus indicates origin or possession.
    • This one vvord familia joyn'd vvith pater, mater, filius, or filia, endeth the Genitive in as, as pater familias, but ſomtimes familiæ. - 1669, J[ohn] M[ilton], “Of Nouns”, in Accedence Commenc’t Grammar, […], to Attain...
    • 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...

Forms

genitives genetive

Derived

adverbial genitive group genitive headless genitive independent genitive partitive genitive periphrastic genitive post-genitive Saxon genitive subjective genitive substantive genitive