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-'s
//s// suffix
Definitions
Suffix
- 1 A possessive marker, indicating that an object belongs to the noun or noun phrase bearing the marker. enclitic, morpheme
"Jane's house is bigger than Sarah's."
- 2 Used to form the plurals of numerals, letters, some abbreviations and some nouns, usually because the omission of an apostrophe would make the meaning unclear or ambiguous. enclitic, morpheme, proscribed, sometimes
"There are four 3’s in my phone number."
- 3 In the absence of a specified object, used to indicate “the house/place/establishment of”. enclitic, morpheme
"We'll arrive at Jose and María's in time for dinner."
- 4 Used to form plurals of foreign words, to clarify pronunciation, such as “banana’s” or “pasta’s”. enclitic, morpheme, obsolete
"index’s"
- 5 Indicates a purpose or a user. enclitic, morpheme
"You need a driver's license."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Used to form the plural of nouns that correctly take just an "s" in the plural. See greengrocer’s apostrophe. enclitic, morpheme, proscribed
"Apple’s 50p a pound"
- 7 Used to indicate a quantity of something, especially of time. enclitic, morpheme
"I took three weeks' holiday."
- 8 Used to indicate various other kinds of relationship, such as source or origin, object of an action, subject depicted, etc. enclitic, morpheme
"She got angry at my niece's trying to lie to us."
- 9 Attached to a noun or noun phrase linked to a genitive of, forming a double genitive (Compare of mine, etc.) enclitic, morpheme
"a friend of Sarah's"
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English -s, -es, from Old English -es (“-'s”, masculine and neuter genitive singular ending), from Proto-Germanic *-as, *-is (masculine and neuter genitive singular ending). Cognate with Dutch -s, -es (“-'s”), German -s, -es (“-'s”), Danish -s, -es (“-'s”), Swedish -s (“-'s”), Norwegian -s (“-'s”), Icelandic -s (“-'s”).
Etymology 2
Equivalent to -s, with addition of apostrophe.
See also for "-'s"
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