several grammar questions (2)

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Avangi

#470808 Thu, 31 Jan 08 12:23 AM

Hoa Thai wrote:
Avangi wrote:

If I say, "Your car has a strange smell to it," is that genitive?

Hi Avangi,

By definition, as you might already know, a genitive case is expressed by the possessive of or a clitic 's. However, your car definitely has a distinctive possessive form where your is either a separate possessive pronoun or an irregular genitive of you.

So I'd have to say, "Your car's smell is very strange," before we can evoke the concept of genitive?

I guess what prompted me to ask is that "to it" is a rather strange but rather common use of "to," which to me implies possession. "The door is locked. Do you have a key to it?" (Do you have its key?) "Do you see any sense to it?" But there's no use arguing about definitions!

Thank you, Hoa Thai

Edit. Thanks for "clitic." I never heard it before but recognized its anatomical parallel.

Avangi

Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007

Senior Member (3,023)

". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

Genitives, Grammar, Nouns, Possessives, Pronouns

Hoa Thai

#470815 Thu, 31 Jan 08 12:45 AM

Hi Avangi,

To me, grammarians always have their way, trying to make thing clear (or confusing to some). What do you think of the following quoted text regarding 's?

"Some linguists believe that English possessive is no longer a case at all, but has become a clitic, an independent particle which, however, is always pronounced as part of the preceding word. This is claimed on the basis of the following sort of example: "The king of Sparta's wife was called Helen." If the English -'s were a genitive case mark, then the wife would belong to Sparta; but the -'s attaches not to the word Sparta, but to the entire phrase the king of Sparta." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitive_case

Smile [:)]

Hoa Thai

Joined on Mon, Oct 15 2007

Vietnam

Contributing Member (1,100)

Best Regards - Hoa Thai

Articles, Genitives, Grammar, Possessives

Avangi

#470818 Thu, 31 Jan 08 12:51 AM

I love it.

Avangi

Grammar

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