The Genitive Case

The Case Itself

• The Genitive case is what is used to show possession in Latin.
• Contrary to English's use of extra words to display possession, or the use of an 's, or s', Latin changes the ending of the base word.

Singular Example

• ancilla statuam athletae habuit.
• "The slave-girl had a statue of the athlete."
• or "The slave-girl had the athlete's statue."

Explanation

• In the sentence, the genitive phrase "statuam athletae" the word 'athletae' takes possession of the word statuam
• Genitive ignores the case of the word it is modifying. The same applies for the number of the noun it is modifying.
• For example, statuae athletae will have the same genitive modifier as even 'nasi statuarum athletarum'!

Singular Genitive Endings

• 1st: athlet(ae)
• 2nd: puer(ī)
• 3rd: patr(is)

Plural Example

• matres infantes patrum amaverunt.
• "The mothers loved the babies of the fathers."
• or "The mothers loved the fathers' babies."

Plural Genitive Endings

• 1st: athlet(ārum)
• 2nd: puer(ōrum)
• 3rd: patr(um)

Recap on Explanation

• Genitive ignores everything about the word it modifies (e.g. case, gender, and number.)
• Genitive, again, is Latin's use of possession contrary to English's use of 's, s', or 'of the'.
• Genitive ignores everything about the word it modifies (e.g. case, gender, and number.)

Singular Endings

Plural Endings

Credits