Possessivelike

Possessivelike is a linguistic term used to describe constructions whose semantics resemble possession or close association but that do not rely on a standard possessive marker on the possessor or the possessed noun. The term is not universally standardized and may appear in descriptive, typological, or theoretical discussions, often to highlight cross-linguistic differences in how languages encode ownership, affiliation, or part-whole relationships.

Functions and mechanisms

Possessivelike constructions can express ownership, kinship, or other relational readings (such as part-whole or association) through varied grammatical means. These can include genitive case marking on the possessor or head noun, possessive suffixes, noun-noun compounds, or periphrastic phrases that convey possession without a dedicated possessive morphology. They may also involve word order patterns or adjectives that encode possessor semantics. The same form can yield multiple readings depending on context, intonation, or discourse that affects interpretation.

Examples and scope

In some languages, the possessor is marked by a non-possessive case or postposition that signals possession, yielding a possesivelike reading without a conventional English possessive. In noun-noun compounds, a head noun modified by a second noun can express ownership or close association without a separate possessive marker. Possessivelike readings can also arise in phrases where the relationship is clearly ownership but the grammar relies on a different mechanism than a typical possessive morpheme.

Relation to related concepts

Possessivelike is distinct from strict possessive marking, which encodes ownership as a grammatical category, and from simple attributive description, which may not entail ownership or strong association. It serves as a descriptive label for cross-linguistic patterns where possession-like meaning emerges from non-canonical grammatical strategies.