Genetiivi

Genetiivi, or genitive, is a grammatical case used in many languages to mark possession and a range of related relations. The term derives from the Latin genitivus, itself from gen- meaning birth or origin. In grammar, the genitive is applied to nouns to indicate possession, origin, material, quantification, or close association.

The possessor is typically expressed in the genitive, while the possessed noun remains in its base form or takes another case depending on sentence structure.

In Finnish, genetiivi is one of the noun cases and a central device for expressing ownership and close relationships. For example, talon ovi means “the door of the house” (talon is the genitive singular of talo, house). The genitive plural often takes forms such as talojen to mark “of the houses”; possessors can be shown with the possessor noun in genitive, as in talon omistajat, meaning “the owners of the house.” Genitive endings are part of Finnish morphology: singular genitive commonly ends in -n, while plural genitive is formed with endings such as -en or -ien depending on the noun.

Across languages, the genitive is used for possession in various forms. In English, possession is shown with ’s or with of-phrases, as in the cat’s toy or the color of the sky. In Latin and German, genitive forms indicate possession or close organizational relationships, often with distinctive articles or endings. The exact form and function vary by language, but common themes include possession, origin, material, and part–whole relationships.

In summary, genetiivi denotes the genitive case, a grammatical tool for expressing ownership and related connections, with language-specific morphology and usage.