====== Genitive case ======
**//Genitive case//** ([[abbreviations|abbreviated]] as GEN) is the grammatical [[grammar_case|case]] that marks a noun/pronoun modifying another noun/pronoun. It is marked by postposition //-ob// for [[declension_classes|declension]] class I and by postposition //-b// for declension class II. It usually shifts the function of the noun from [[syntax_object|object]] to [[syntax_determiner|modifier/attributive/determiner]]. The most common function of genitive case is to indicate [[syntax_possession|possession]], so the term **//Possessive case//** is often used. As there are no special possessive pronouns in [[Nûrlâm]], the genitive case of personal [[pronouns]] is used instead. However genitive case have a broader function than just the possession (compare "pack of wolves" with "wolf's pack"). 

===== Functions of Genitive case =====
Typical functions of Genitive case in [[Nûrlâm]] include:
  * Possession or ownership (//Possessive case//), both alienable (current, temporary) and inalienable (permanent): compare "orc's knife" (= "kirm uruk__ob__") with "orc's head" (= "kaz uruk__ob__");
  * Origin or ancestry (pure Genitive): "orcs of Mordor" = "uruk Uzgbûrz__ob__";
  * Relationship of objects ("orc's father" = "krank uruk__ob__");
  * Description or explanation of noun with another noun ("night of sorcery" = "fugh dush__ob__", "city of Gondor" = "goi Gunduzg__ob__"), usually replaced with compound word ("dushfugh");
  * Material or source ("knife made of steel" = "kirm krampuga yazg__ob__");
  * Reason ("I'm tired of hard work" = "Dakûbruz snagum__ob__", "He died of disease" = "Tamatuz gôm__ob__")
  * Forensic/Judical Genitive (Latin "Genitivus forensis", "Genitivus criminis"): "accusation of murder" = "slogurm dogurm__ob__";
  * with verbal nouns and participles:
    * Genitive of object: "lust of bounty" = "ghîr raun__ob__", usually can be replaced with [[case_dative|Dative]] of purpose ("lust for bounty" = "ghîr raun__ûr__") or compound word ("raunghîr" = "bounty lust");
    * Genitive of subject: "arrival of Morgoth" = "skâturm Morgoth__ob__";
  * Quality: "man of honour" = "shra gorm__ob__";
  * Comparisons (after adjective in comparative form): "larger than him" = "dauzar __tab__", may be replaced with conjunction "snû" (than) with noun/pronoun in [[case_accusative|accusative case]] ("dauzar snû __tash__");
  * Abundance or shortage: "Rivers full of fish" = "sîr gûk skab__ob__", "We have lack of food" = "Dakbrus stârz throk__ob__"((lit. "We have little of food")), "There is no need for water" = "Nar bolkurm nîn__ob__".
  * [[syntax_absence|Absence]] of something (usually in negative impersonal sentences): "There is no life here" = "Nar kîb__ob__ zin";
  * //Partitive// functions:
    * element of set: "group of men" = "shalk tark__ob__", "gang of orcs" = "lurg uruk__ob__";
    * part of bigger object: "a piece of meat" = "ash naht âps__ob__", "a sip of water" = "ash akr nîn__ob__";
    * substance: "wheel of cheese" = "kirn gurth__ob__", "loaf of bread" = "gurn mazg__ob__", "barrel of ale" = "kralt hîmb__ob__";
    * fractions: "half of orcs" = "pir uruk__ob__", "one third of fruits" = "ash krigûrz gau__b__";
    * set or exact quantity: "three of orcs" = "krig uruk__ob__"((three orcs of larger group, compare with "krig uruk", just 3 orcs or there are totally 3 orcs present)), "pair of shoes" = "pur shkab__ob__";
    * together with [[proform|indefinite pronouns]] and quantifiers to mark uncertain number from zero to all members of set/group: "many of them" = "mak tak__ob__", "none of orcs" = "nar uruk__ob__", "most of men" = "marm tark__ob__", "all of elves" = "ûk golug__ob__", "some of fruits" = "mûd gau__b__". May be omitted if noun already has possessive modifier: "many (of) our warriors" = "mak maub dakob" = "mak maudakob".
  * to mark objects of certain verbs;
  * with certain [[adpositions]] ("ik", "it", "ithu", "îzan");

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===== Genitive versus Ablative and Elative case =====
In many languages Genitive has functions of [[case_locative#ablative_case|Ablative]] case. In Nûrlâm they are distinct cases. Compare "orc of Mordor" (orc born in Mordor, orc serving in Mordor) with "orc from Mordor" (orc came from Mordor, but not necessarily obeying to Mordor or not necessarily been born there). For example, in Russian preposition "из" ("from") together with noun in Genitive case is used to denote material, but in Nûrlâm "from" is translated into Ablative (postposition "-bo"), [[case_locative#elative_case|Elative]] (postposition "-ah") case, or preposition "ghâr" together with Elative case; therefore direct translation will be incorrect, so plain Genitive should be used, however Elative is also possible if transformation of one material into another is supposed ("make wine from blood" = "kramp gabh ghor__ah__").

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===== Links =====
  * [[wp>Genitive_case|Wikipedia]] on Genitive case;
  * [[wp>Partitive_case|Wikipedia]] on Partitive case;
  * [[wp>Partitive|Wikipedia]] on general concept of partitive expressions;