genetiivsingulari

Genetiivsingulari, or genitive singular, is a grammatical form used in languages that have a genitive case to mark a noun in a genitive relationship, most commonly to indicate possession or a close association between two nouns. It is the singular form of the noun within the genitive case.

Usage and functions: The genitive singular is frequently used to express possession, as in a language with a genitive case where the possessor takes the genitive singular form when describing another noun. It can also mark part-whole relationships (the wheel of the car), source or origin (the handwriting of the author), or measurement and quantity (two days' delay in some languages). In many languages, the genitive singular affects agreement with determiners and adjectives, and some verbs may require a genitive object.

Morphology and variation: The exact endings and changes used to form the genitive singular differ widely between languages. Some languages mark the genitive with affixes attached to the noun stem; others use changes within the stem, clitics, or separate articles or prepositions. In some languages, possession is expressed primarily through other means, such as possessive adjectives or a "of" construction, rather than a dedicated genitive case.

Notes: The concept is distinct from the genitive plural and other cases; it is one cell in a broader case system. In languages without a rich inflectional system, genitive meaning may be conveyed by word order or prepositions rather than inflected endings.

See also: genitive case, noun declension, possessive construction.