genitive (adj./n.) (gen, GEN)

One of the FORMS taken by a NOUN PHRASE (often a single NOUN or PRONOUN) in LANGUAGES which express GRAMMATICAL relationships by means of INFLECTIONS. The genitive CASE (‘the genitive’) typically expresses a possessive relationship (e.g. the boy’s book), or some other similarly ‘close’ connection (e.g. a summer’s day); but there is a great deal of variation between languages in the way this case is used. The term may also apply to CONSTRUCTIONS formally related to the case form, as in the postmodifying genitive with of in English, e.g. the car of the general (⇒ The general’s car). In English LINGUISTICS, particular attention has been paid to the problems caused by the DISTRIBUTION of the genitive ending, as in a book of my brother’s and the King of England’s hat.