Genitive case

The genitive, genitive rare (from the Latin casus genitive: the origin case in point ), also known as Case 2 or Wesfall or Whose case is a Deklinationsform of German grammar.

• 3.1 Colloquial substitutions
• 3.2 Standard Language replacements

• 5.1 Special
• 5.2 Alternative form of the genitive

Linguistic features of the genitive

In the genitive include, among other groups of words that express an ownership or tenure status. In the phrase the house of the neighbors of the neighbors is in the genitive. With the question " Whose house is this?" We can determine the genitive attribute. This use of the genitive is called in the Latin grammar as a genitive possessivus. In the function as identifiers of attributes in this possessive meaning ( Possessivgenitiv ) the genitive in German is the most frequent. In the universals it is therefore also referred to as Possessivmarkierung.

In addition, the following functions of the genitive are distinguished in the Latin grammar, which are also found in the German language:

• Genitivus qualitatis - the genitive denotes a characteristic of " second-class ticket ", " a short-lived joy "
• Genitivus partitivus - the genitive expresses a relation of the proportion of " the eldest son of the family," "the other side of the coin ", " the south of the country "
• Subjective genitive - the genitive object is the source of an action: "the Council of the friend ," " the body's response "
• Genitivus obiectivus - the genitive object is the goal of an action: " respect for the law ", " the punishment of the traitor "
• Genitivus explicativus / definitivus - explains the genitive or describes another object closer: " ray of hope ", " the punishment of exile ", " owner of the house "
• Genitivus hebraicus - the genitive increases the importance of the object and expresses its highest degree, " the book of books "
• Genitivus auctoris - the genitive indicates authorship: " Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 "

Function of the genitive in other languages

There are different applications of the genitive in different languages. Thus, for example, require in the Russian language, the number words два, три and четыре (two, three and four) the genitive singular. Мне два года. - I am two years old. Numbers from five to twenty require the genitive plural, the nominative twenty-one, because the number ends in one, twenty-two to twenty-four again the genitive singular ( Мне двадцать два года -. . I'm twenty-two ) Then again follows genitive plural to 30, then everything is repeated for each subsequent decade to one hundred, one hundred in the nominative and so on. In Lithuanian the genitive expresses the passive, the agent of ( possessive sentence construction, such as TEVO sergama - " the father is sick "). In several Slavic languages ​​, for example in Slovenia, genitive is used instead of the accusative (but not other cases) in negated sentences.

Genitive as object -case

In German, the genitive is governed in his capacity as the genitive of the object of some verbs. Examples of such verbs are: need, lacking, remember, wait, maintain (only poetically, the rest maintain ), mock, make use of, remember, enjoy (also: be happy ), remember, boast, be ashamed.

Sentence examples: You remember the friends. She remembers her last vacation. He enjoys excellent health. I make use of the genitive.

In some of these verbs, it is also possible to use a preposition instead of the genitive construction: She remembers her last holiday. He scoffs at the present. They are enjoying the flowers.

In many verbs from the legal and judicial language are verbs whose sentence plan in addition to the genitive calls the accusative. Examples: someone of something suspicious, accuse, accuse, accuse, convict; but also deprive someone of something, relieve, refer (see genitivus criminis in Latin ).

Genitive with prepositions

Many German prepositions also require the genitive. Some of them are now seen as outdated or represent a bolt- firm style.

Examples of prepositions with genitive are: off, net, at first, given, based on the occasion, rather than instead of, due to, home, only, outside, outward, as evidenced, bar, eager behufs, on both sides, both sides, both sides, on the mountain side, as to respect, within ( with dative ), thanks to ( with dative ), cis, at the outset, mindful, including inward, end, exclusive, capable, in the event, away, free, happy, find, respected, commemorative, occasionally, aware gewärtig, certainly, accustomed to get hold of, sake, respect, hinsichts, as a result, including, in the middle, inside, within, inward, beyond, powerful, knowledgeable, along, alongside, loud ( with dative ), single, left hand, left hand, left, left, powerful, lack of help, using, tired, name, north, northeast, northwest, whether or not ( ie, whether the loss suffered ), above, to the east, in the frame, right hand, right, right side, tired seitab sideways, guilty, part, side, sure, instead, to ... instead, southern, southeastern, southwestern, advantageous to partake, despite ( with dative ), tired to ... sake, at liberty, without prejudice, regardless of ungedenk, ignorant of, unacquainted, unteilhaft, below, near, unworthy, unworthy of causes, suspicious, deprived of means of virtue, full, full, on the part, subject, while, because, far away, worth, west, worthy of time, according to favor, at the expense, zuseiten, detriment, plus, for the purpose.

Some of these adpositions require the dative form, recreated if they are ( postpositions ): According to the plaintiff, in favor. Only if those words are used as a preposition, they always demand the genitive: He entered the garden instead of the court. For example, rather than be used as a conjunction and then ruled no Case Nominative, the next Case Nominative then depends on the verb from: He entered the garden instead of the yard.

Colloquial substitutions

In common prepositions such as during the genitive in the vernacular is sometimes replaced by the dative. In the southern German-speaking countries because the preposition is also used with the dative, such as: "because of the bad weather "; however, this is generally not recognized as correct.

Chance of a reverse trend can be observed: in particular raised In an effort to one and officially appearing style of speech in radio and the press are sometimes prepositions that require the default language the dative (corresponding, opposite, under, near), connected with the genitive. Also outgrown in the chancellery of some nouns prepositions newly formed, such as " by ".

Standard language substitutions

Despite such trends, the genitive case prepositions is always replaced by the dative, when a plural noun is not accompanied by an article or an adjective with case endings and thus the noun alone will not recognize that it is in the genitive, because the shape the genitive plural form of the nominative plural matches. Thus, in the expression "due to hail " the genitive possible ( the -s can in hail the genitive be clear ), in the expression "due to hail " must be the dative, as the genitive plural not detected (" hailstorm " ) solely on the noun can be.

In certain compounds may at prepositions that would otherwise require the genitive, dative of the standard language used, as for many.

In earlier times were also used in a suffix without the genitive, so still get in without a doubt.

Attributive genitive

A genitive can also select an attribute. It depends syntactically on the reference word.

The genitive is adjusted in German usually:

• The sails of the ship
• The Belly of an Architect

The genitive may also be preceded by the Germans. This will be done today but only in persons, particularly when people's names. In this case, the articles of the reference word omitted:

• My father's house
• My daughter dress
• Peters girlfriend
• Anna's dog
• Des Knaben Wunderhorn
• The Emperor's New Clothes

Previously the preceding genitive was widespread. If it is not people, but he is now regarded as obsolete:

• I am with you always, to the very end, today: ... to the end of the world.
• Many dogs catch the hare death.

Dative and accusative does not exist in this form as attributes. But even they can stand alone, as the dative on envelopes ( Mr. Meier ) or as accusative of time ( how long you stay - the whole day. ).

Form of the genitive

Question: "Whose leaves lying on the ground? " Answer: " The leaves of the tree lying on the ground! "

Question: "Whose noise is heard? " Answer: " The sounds of the cars are to be heard! "

Question: "Whose phone is ringing? " Answer: " Maria's mobile phone rings! "

Special

• When a proper noun ends in a voiceless S-sound and no articles, possessives or the like in front of it stands, is used for written identification of the genitive in accordance with § 96 of the German spelling rules for the apostrophe. Submissions may be: ce ( Bruce's ), s ( Klaus '), ss (Grass '), ß ( White '), tz ( Katz's ), z ( Merz ) and x ( Marx ). It should be noted that the said letter only form the genitive by apostrophizing if they are actually the sound [ s] equal to or he remains silent; if not, a s is appended in the written as well as normal as in spoken language, such as Milošević, not * Milošević ' (as well as Millowitschs not * Millowitsch ') or Beneš, not * Beneš ' (as well as Bausch, not * Bausch '). The only exception represent words that end in one of the graphemes, but which remains silent. One writes Jacques' (and not * Jacquess ) or Giraudoux (and not * Giraudouxs ), although in spoken language quite a [s ] is appended ( [ ʒak s] ).

The removal of the apostrophe s by the genitive is no longer common in German. She was still common until the 19th century and in the written and printed High German, of the Prussian Academy of Sciences of the works of Kant even in the 20th century were still published under the title " Kant's Collected Works ". With the reform of German orthography from 1901 but this was considered an error. After Reformed Spelling ( § 97E of the official rules ) is allowed since 1996 to include in personal names before their genitive ending -s an apostrophe in order to illustrate the basic form: Willis or Willi's brother, Luther or Luther 's theses.

Examples of genitive -s

Question: "Whose clock is broken? " Answer: " Hans ' clock is broken. " Or " Hansen's clock is broken. "

Question: " Whose Wonderland is told? " Answer: " From Alice's Wonderland is told. "

Alternative formation of the genitive

The Possessivgenitiv can be replaced by prepositional with additions from the German (ie the works of Goethe ). This happens especially in the vernacular. In addition, you can with the construction of the indeterminacy of plural expressions emphasize ( a mother of three children instead of a mother of three children). If there are several attributes together, the genitive and the of - constructions for stylistic variation can be used ( on the day of Mary's wedding instead of on the wedding day of Mary ). The by - construction also provides a way out if a word can carry the genitive ending ( the cries of geese; the cries of geese, however, does not include the uncertainty ).

Another form for display in the possession, but which is only used in colloquial language and in dialects, is a form in the dative with suffixed possessive pronouns: our grandmother her small ' cottage, the father of his car, Serious Kuzorra his wife their stadium (John Rau ). However, it is avoided in the default language. This form is used in several Germanic languages ​​, eg in English as " his- genitive ". In the Old English language, this genitive form died at first, but later evolved into new and was then replaced by the genitive apostrophe: like father's. Folk etymology, this form was seen as contraction of the his- genitive and thereby stabilized.