Genetiivsplural

Genetiivsplural, or genitive plural, is the grammatical form used to mark possession or a close association for more than one entity. It is a feature of languages that have a genitive case or dedicated possessive morphology, and its exact realization varies across languages and dialects. In languages with explicit genitive endings, the plural is typically marked either by a suffix on the noun or by a change in the determiner.

In English, the genitive plural is usually formed by adding an apostrophe plus s to the noun in its plural form, or by just an apostrophe if the plural ends in s: the cats' tails; the children's toys. For irregular plurals, the possessive adds 's: the men's room.

In German, the genitive plural generally does not involve a suffix on the noun; possession is shown by the article and noun in the genitive: der Katzen (of the cats). The noun’s plural form remains in the genitive.

In several Scandinavian languages (for example Swedish, Norwegian, Danish), the genitive plural is commonly formed by adding -s to the plural noun, yielding forms such as husens tak (the roofs of the houses). The exact spellings differ by language and by noun class.

In other languages, genitive plural can be expressed with a prepositional phrase equivalent to "of the": English often uses "of the houses" as an alternative to a morphological genitive.

Usage and style: The genitive plural is used in formal writing and classic texts; some modern styles prefer periphrastic possessives in certain contexts. Apostrophe conventions vary by language and style guides, especially regarding names ending in -s.

See also: Genitive case, Possessive, Declension.