múltjának

Múltjának is a Hungarian possessive construction meaning “of his/her/its past.” It is formed from the noun múlt (past) with the third-person possessive suffix -ja/-je and the postposed case suffix -nak/-nek, producing the form múltjának. This expression denotes that something belongs to or relates to the past of a third-person subject and is used within a larger noun phrase rather than as a standalone word.

Grammatically, the base múlt receives the possessive marker for the third person singular: múltja. When a case suffix is added for genitive or dative functions, the result is múltjának (e.g., múltjának eseményei; “the events of his past”). The choice between -nak and -nek depends on the phonology of the preceding syllable and the overall harmony of the word. The form múltjának is therefore a combination of possession and case inflection that links a noun to the past of another entity.

Usage and examples show that múltjának appears in both literary and historical contexts to refer to ownership or association with someone’s past. For instance: “A regény a hős múltjának eseményeit meséli el” (The novel tells of the hero’s past events), “Az író a hős múltjának nyomait kutatja” (The writer searches for traces of the hero’s past), and “A vezető múltjának hatása még ma is érezhető” (The leader’s past still has an impact today).

Notes: múltjának illustrates how Hungarian combines possessive suffixes with case endings to express relational meanings. See also múlt and birtokos szerkezetek.