The Genitive Case: Possession, Absence, and More
The Genitive case indicates possession (like 'of' or 's), absence (with безъ - without), origin (with изъ/съ - from), or location at/having ('at' or 'have' with оу). Its primary role is showing belonging or relation, or being required by certain prepositions. OCS has singular, dual, and plural forms for the Genitive case.
Nouns: Endings vary based on gender, number, and hard/soft stem.
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: hard -a, soft -я. (e.g., домъ бра́та - brother's house, книга отьцꙗ́ - father's book, окъно́ села́ - village window, цвѣ́тъ по́ля - field flower)
- Singular Feminine: hard -ы or -е, soft -ѣ. (e.g., книга сестры́ - sister's book, гласъ землѣ́ - voice of the earth)
- Dual (all genders): hard/soft -оу. (e.g., дома́ братоу́ - of two brothers, сестрѣ́ сестроу́ - of two sisters)
- Plural (all genders): Varies, often -ъ or -ь (masculine hard/soft), or a zero ending (feminine and neuter), -ъ after vowels or r/l. (e.g., до́мъ братъ - of brothers, кни́га отъць - of fathers, книга женъ∅ - of women, окъно́ селъ∅ - of villages)
Adjectives (Simple/Indefinite):
- Singular (all genders): hard -а, soft -я. (e.g., домъ добра бра́та - house of a good brother, книга новѣ оучи́тельницѣ - book of a new female teacher, окъно́ синя моря - window of the blue sea)
- Dual (all genders): hard/soft -оу. (e.g., дома́ доброу братоу́ - of two good brothers, очи́ си́ноу - of two blue eyes)
- Plural (all genders): hard/soft -ъ. (e.g., до́мъ добръ бра́тъ - house of good brothers, кни́га си́нихъ - of blue ones)
Prepositions: Used after безъ (without), изъ/съ (from), оу (at/by/have), and others like до (to/until), отъ (from).
Examples: СЕ́ ѥстъ дѣ́ло моего́ отьцꙗ́ (This is my father's work). Азъ ѥсмъ изъ гра́да (I am from the city). Оу мене́ ѥстъ часо́вникъ (I have a watch - literally "At me there is a watch"). Они́ идѫтъ безъ водꙑ́ (They are going without water). Ви́дѣхъ мно́го кра́сьнъ женъ (I saw many beautiful women).