of-genitive

of-genitive (genitivsuttrykk med of): an expression of the genitive, where the 'possessor' is expressed as a prepositional phrase with of postmodifying the 'possession'. E.g. the music of the 1950s, the citizens of this country, the headmaster of the school, the foot of the mountain, the colour of the car. The of-genitive is typically used when the 'possessor' is non-human, although this is no absolute rule. The of-genitive is also sometimes preferred when the 'possessor' is a plural noun, since it is impossible to hear the difference between the genitive -s and the plural -s: the uniforms of the nurses. The of-genitive can also be used of human 'possessors', as in the works of Shakespeare, Best of Bach, and it is often used in names of institutions, and organizations, e.g. the University of Oslo, the United States of America, the City of London, the museum of modern arts, the National Union of Teachers. Compare s-genitive.