Ta de ûntjouwing fan 'e genityf yn it Fering-Öömrang

Abstract

This article deals with some aspects of the development of the genitive in the North Frisian dialect of Feer and Oomram. First, the distribution of the two genitive endings -s and -en is established. After the collapse of the Old Frisian
morphological case system these endings became assigned on the basis of the morphonological structure of the stem. Basically, -s appeared after unstressed syllables ending in a sonorant, whereas -en appeared elsewhere. Next, two special Fering-Öömrang developments of the partitive genitive are discussed. The partitive genitive after nouns has been partly reanalysed as a countability marker, such that for example in a pair of word forms like triad/triads 'thread, yarn' the sending marks the non-count reading of the word. Although the countability marker is normally -s nowadays, some relics of the former distribution between -s and -en can still be found, for example in meat names like kualews 'veal' (from kualew 'calf') vs swinen 'porc' (from swin 'pig'). The partitive genitive after adjectives has developed into a suffix marking the nominal use of the adjective. In addition to the s-ending, known from other West Germanic languages, Fering-Öömrang may also use the en-ending here (cf. wat ruads/wat ruaden 'something red'). In this case, however, the distribution of the two endings is rather diffuse due to a complex interplay between internal developments and German interference.