The Genitive Case

The Genitive Case

This is a practice exercise. Completion of the practice and self-reflection will count towards your Practice Grade for class.

Take notes for each of the slides, INCLUDING answers to the questions. You will submit a picture of your notes on Blackboard for credit.

What is the genitive?

• It is a Latin case used to show to whom something belongs.

• The case is shown by the ending on the noun.

• Think about the ending as being an 's in English (the teacher's cat; teacher would be genitive).

• We can also show genitive by saying 'of' in English.

Multiple Choice

What word would be genitive in English? Captain America took the shield from Ironman's lair.

• Captain America

• took

• Ironman's

• lair

Multiple Choice

Which word would be genitive in English? The enemy of Batman is the Joker.

• Enemy

• Batman

• The Joker

• is

Why does the genitive exist?

• Latin doesn't have the word 'of.'

• Instead, Latin replaces the word 'of' with the following endings.

• Feminine: -ae/arum Puellae 'of the girl' Puellarum 'of the girls'

• Masculine/Neuter: -i/orum Pueri 'of the boy' Puerorum 'of the boys'

Multiple Choice

The word river in Latin is fluvius. How would I say 'of the river'?

• Fluvius

• Fluvii

• Fluviorum

• Fluvio

Multiple Choice

The plural of rivers is 'fluvii.' But how would I say 'of the rivers?'

• fluvii

• fluvius

• fluviorum

• fluviis

Multiple Choice

The word for maid is ancilla. How would I say 'of the maid?'

• ancilla

• ancillarum

• ancillis

• ancillae

Be Careful

The word that is genitive in Latin is the word which FOLLOWS 'of'. Therefore the father of the boy would be 'pater pueri.'

Note that the word before of is NORMAL.

Note that pueri is GENITIVE.

Multiple Choice

How would I write the 'master of the maids?' Plural

• dominus ancillarum

• dominus ancillae

• domini ancilla

• dominorum ancilla

Multiple Choice

How would I say the 'mother of the daughter?'

• mater filia

• materae filia

• mater filiae

• materae filiarum

Multiple Choice

How would I say 'a great number of towns' Remember: A great number would be NORMAL.

• magnus numerus oppidi

• magnus numerus oppidorum

• magni numeri oppidum

• magnorum numerorum oppidi

Multiple Choice

How would I say: "A small number of rivers?"

• parvus numerus fluviorum

• parvus numerus fluvii

• parvi numeri fluviorum

• parvi numeri fluvius

Nota Bene

• Adjectives will still be matchy-matchy, even when modifying a genitive form.

Multiple Choice

How would I say "the rivers of the big province"? Think about what big is modifying.

• Fluvii magni provinciae

• Fluvii magnae provinciae

• Fluvius magnae provinciae

• Fluvio magno proviniciae

Poll

On a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very well), how do you feel about genitive forms so far?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Open Ended

Explain why you scored yourself this way.