øyets

øyets is the genitive form of the definite Norwegian noun øyet, meaning “the eye.” It functions as a possessive determiner, roughly equivalent to the English “the eye’s.” It is used to indicate something belonging to or associated with the eye, and it appears only in the definite form of the noun.

In Norwegian, possessive forms are formed by adding the suffix -s to the definite noun. Therefore, øyets denotes possession by the eye. The corresponding plural possessive is øynenes (the eyes’). When referring to possession by an indefinite eye (if expressed indirectly), Norwegian typically uses alternative constructions such as “funksjonen til øyet” (the function of the eye) rather than a direct possessive on an indefinite noun.

Common uses include anatomical, functional, and descriptive phrases, for example: øyets netthinne (the retina of the eye), øyets farge (the color of the eye), and øyets funksjon (the eye’s function). These formations are standard in Bokmål Norwegian and are understood in most Norwegian-speaking contexts.

Etymology: øyet derives from the Old Norse word for eye, with cognates in neighboring Scandinavian languages. The modern possessive form øyets reflects the general Norwegian pattern of adding -s to the definite noun to express ownership. This pattern is parallel to similar possessive constructions in related Germanic languages, such as Danish and Swedish, which use a comparable suffix or construction to indicate possession.