Lesson 23: Genitive / Possesive
Learning a new noun function
Recall that so far we have learned that the endings of nouns indicate 2 functions: subject and object. Now we learn a 3rd function (eventually there will be 5).
The technical name for this is the Genitive function, which has two possible meanings:
- Of... = Genitive of Object
- love of Latin, hatred of racism, forgetful of you
- here the genitive has a likeness to being the object of the verb
- Posession = Ownership
- the son of Mary = Mary's son; the program of the school = the school's program the books of the girls = the girl's books
- here the genitive has no semblence of being an object
Forming the Genitive function of the Noun
A. The second form of both Block I and Block II nouns given in the Dictionary is the Genitive singular case:
| Nouns in Dictionary
|
| Subject | Genitive | Gender
|
| Block I
|
| magister | magistri | -m
|
| discipulus | discipuli | -m
|
| ancilla | ancillae | -f
|
| ecclesia | ecclesiae | -f
|
| verbum | verbi | -n
|
| Block II
|
| homo | hominis | -m
|
| mater | matris | -f
|
B. The plural forms can be listed in table form:
| Genitive in Block I
|
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
|
| Singular: | -i | -ae | -i
|
| Plural: | -orum | -arum | -orum
|
| Singular: | discipuli | ecclesiae | verbi | of the... student, church, word
|
| Plural: | discipulorum | ecclesiarum | verborum | of the... students, chuches, words
|
| Genitive in Block II
|
| Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter
|
| Nouns | Adjective
|
| Singular: | -is | -is
|
| Plural: | -um
[-ium %20 of time] | -ium
[-um 20% of time]
|
| Singular: | hominis | memoris
felicis | of the... person, memorable person/thing, happy person/thing
|
| plural: | hominum | memorum (20%)
feliciorum | of the... people, memorable persons/things, happy persons/things
|
Now go on to do Homework 21-22 and Homework 23.
N.B.
- The Genitive forms are very similar to other functions in Latin. Therefore we have to know our vocabulary.
- Thus "discipuli habent libros" has two possible meanings: "the students have the books" or "they have the books of the student".
- "Consilium omnium" = block 1 singular subject + block 2 genitive plural = the "advice of all people".
- Block 1 adjectives modifying a genitive noun will also take the genitive form, which is identical to the noun form of Block 1 (but always need to follow the gender: "nostrorum discipolorum" = "of our students", "agicolae boni" = "of the good farmer".
- To form genitive in Block 2, all singular subject nouns and adjectives end in -is, whether masculine, feminine or neuter, and for all 3 types of Block 2 adjectives.
- Like before, the endings of plural Block II adjectives are the reversed of Block II nouns.
"I wish they had told us this fifty years ago." - Fr. Foster
First Experience Latin - Fr. Reginald Foster
Answers to First ExperienceReturn to Index