Possessive Genitive

The possessive genitive is the most common use of the genitive case.  It expresses ownership of the noun the genitive noun is modifying.  Here are some examples.
bulletHoratiae mater, "the mother of Horatia" or "Horatia's mother"
bulletQuinti pater, "the father of Quintus" or "Quintus' father"
bulletportae urbis, "the gates of the city" or "the city's gates"

Some of these genitives express more of a partitive nature, i.e. the genitive noun is the whole while the adjective is modifies is only a part of that whole.

bulletmulti Troianorum, "many of the Trojans"
bulletpaucae feminarum "few of the women"

Other Genitive Uses

Possessive Genitive
Genitive of Value

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Related Topics

Noun Syntax

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Lesson Chapter 9

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Last Updated March 18, 2003

Questions, comments and corrections should be sent to Brian K. Harvey, Kent State University