Viszonyjelöl

Viszonyjelöl is a term originating from Hungarian linguistics, often translated as "relation marker" or "genitive marker." It refers to a specific suffix or postposition used in Hungarian to indicate possession or a genitive relationship between two nouns. Unlike the English possessive 's or the preposition "of," Hungarian typically employs suffixes attached to the possessed noun, and the possessor often takes a specific case ending as well.

The most common viszonyjelöl is the suffix -nak/-nek, which is used for the dative case, indicating possession in a broader sense, such as ownership or belonging. For example, "a könyv **nek**em van" (the book is to me, meaning it belongs to me). Another significant viszonyjelöl is the suffix -nak/-nek when attached to the possessor, indicating that the following noun is possessed by it. For instance, "Péter **nek** a ház**a**" (Peter's house), where the -a suffix on "háza" is the possessive suffix, and "Péternek" indicates possession by Peter.

The precise form of the viszonyjelöl (-nak or -nek) depends on vowel harmony rules within the Hungarian language, specifically whether the preceding vowel in the word is front or back. The concept of viszonyjelöl is crucial for understanding Hungarian grammar and the expression of possessive and other relational meanings, which are often handled through case marking and suffixes rather than prepositions.