possessiveindirect

Possessiveindirect is a term used in linguistics to describe a class of possessive constructions in which possession is expressed via an indirect relation rather than a direct possessive marker attached to the possessed noun. In these constructions, the possessor is linked to the possessed item through a preposition, a case mark, or another peripheral element, rather than by a genitive suffix or a possessive clitic on the noun itself.

In practice, possessiveindirect covers languages and styles that employ prepositional “of” phrases, oblique or dative possessor markings, or relational nouns to express ownership. The possessed noun may appear without any dedicated possessive marking; the relationship is indicated by the form of the possessor or by the surrounding context. For example, in English the phrase the color of the car expresses possession indirectly, whereas John’s car uses a direct possessive marking on the possessed noun. The term also helps describe typological variation where the syntax encodes possession more often via the possessor’s morphology or via external words than via a built-in possessor on the possessed noun.

Cross-linguistically, possessiveindirect can contrast with direct possessive strategies, but both may coexist in a language. Some languages rely predominantly on indirect strategies for certain noun classes or possessive relationships, while others combine indirect and direct forms depending on factors such as animacy, definiteness, or discourse focus.

See also: genitive, possessive construction, oblique case.