possessedgenitive

Possessedgenitive is a term used in linguistic typology to describe a genitive construction that encodes possession. It is often discussed under the broader heading of genitive constructions of possession or possessive genitives. The label itself appears in some grammars as a way to emphasize that the possessive relation is expressed through a genitive form rather than by a preposition or adverbial phrase.

In the common pattern, the possessor bears the genitive marking and the possessed noun remains the head of the noun phrase. For example, in languages with a general genitive case, German des Mannes Buch translates as “the man’s book,” with Mannes in genitive. Icelandic likewise shows a similar pattern, e.g., mans bók. The possessed noun itself is usually unmarked in this pattern.

Some descriptions mention a possessed-genitive variant in which the possessed noun carries genitive marking to show ownership. This is rarer and less standardized, and terminology varies; many grammars treat possession primarily as a genitive on the possessor, with genitive marking on the possessed noun as a language-specific or dialectal feature.

Cross-linguistic studies note that possession encoding can interact with word order, determiners, and animacy. Possessed-genitive constructions contrast with periphrastic possessives such as “the book of the man” in English. Because the term is not universally standardized, researchers often use “genitive of possession” or “possessive genitive” to describe the same general idea.

See also: Genitive case, Possession, Linguistic typology, Grammar.