Definition of genitive

The word "genitive" has its roots in Latin. In Latin, the suffix "-ius" is used to form the possessive form of a noun, known as the "genitive." For example, "Johannis" is the genitive form of "John," meaning "of John." The Latin word "genitivus" literally means "pertaining to birth" or "origin," and the genitive case is thought to have originated from the idea of a thing's origin or source being expressed. The Latin tradition of distinguishing a possessive case was adopted into many European languages, including English. Today, the term "genitive" is used to describe the grammatical case that expresses possession, origin, or relation between two nouns. In English, the genitive is often shown by adding "'s" or simply using the noun phrase "of" instead, such as "John's book" or "the book of John."