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adj

genitive

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Genitive (adj) means (grammar) Describing the case of a word that shows where something comes from or who owns it, marked by word endings in languages like Latin, and usually shown by word order or 'of'/apostrophe-s in English.

adj
1
(grammar) Describing the case of a word that shows where something comes from or who owns it, marked by word endings in languages like Latin, and usually shown by word order or 'of'/apostrophe-s in English.
"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."
2
(grammar) Belonging to, or used to form, the genitive case.
3
(dated) Relating to producing offspring; reproductive.
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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

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of genitive?
"genitive" (adj) means (grammar) Describing the case of a word that shows where something comes from or who owns it, marked by word endings in languages like Latin, and usually shown by word order or 'of'/apostrophe-s in English.
What is another word for genitive?
Other words for "genitive" include possessive, progenitive.
What are the different meanings of genitive?
"genitive" has 3 main meanings: 1. (grammar) Describing the case of a word that shows where something comes from or who owns it, marked by word endings in languages like Latin, and usually shown by word order or 'of'/apostrophe-s in English; 2. (grammar) Belonging to, or used to form, the genitive case; 3. (dated) Relating to producing offspring; reproductive.

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