Traces of the Old Genitive

Level 6

Luxembourgish has no living genitive, but a few fixed phrases keep it: Enn des Mounts (at the end of the month), Enn des Joers (at the end of the year).

How It Works

1. Fixed time phrases
The article des and the ending -s survive in a few phrases about time:

  • Enn des Mounts (at the end of the month), Enn des Joers (at the end of the year)
  • ufangs des Mounts (at the beginning of the month), ausgangs des Mounts (toward the end of the month)

2. Other fixed phrases
des Laangen an des Breeden means at great length. Formal texts also use des Weideren (furthermore).

3. Hidden genitives
The -s in moies, owes and nuets and in méindes or sonndes (on Mondays, on Sundays) is an old genitive ending. You use these words every day.

4. What to use instead
Do not build new genitives. Use one of these:

  • vun + dative: d'Enn vum Film (the end of the film)
  • dative + possessive: dem Sculpteur seng Wierker (the sculptor's works)

Examples (6)

  1. Eist Abonnement op d'Zeitung leeft Enn des Mounts of.

    Our newspaper subscription runs out at the end of the month.

  2. Säi Kontrakt leeft Enn des Joers aus.

    His contract expires at the end of the year.

  3. Mir fueren ausgangs des Mounts an d'Vakanz.

    We are going on holiday toward the end of the month.

  4. Hien huet schonn ufangs des Mounts seng ganz Pai ausginn.

    He already spent his whole pay at the beginning of the month.

  5. Iwwer dat Theema kann een des Laangen an des Breeden diskutéieren.

    You can discuss that topic at great length.

  6. Dem Sculpteur seng Wierker sinn nach bis Enn des Mounts am Musée ausgestallt.

    The sculptor's works are on display in the museum until the end of the month.

    Possession uses the dative with seng; only the fixed time phrase keeps des.

Common Mistakes

  • Building a new genitive for possession.

    Den Auto des Papps ass nei.
    Dem Papp säin Auto ass nei.

    The genitive only survives in fixed phrases. For possession, use the dative with a possessive, or vun: den Auto vum Papp.

  • Mixing the fixed phrase with a dative article.

    Ech bezuelen Enn dem Mount.
    Ech bezuelen Enn des Mounts.

    Either keep the whole fixed phrase, Enn des Mounts, or say it with vun: um Enn vum Mount.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Traces of the Old GenitiveLevel 6

Learn This First

Before Traces of the Old Genitive, learn Whose Is It? Dem Papp säin Auto and Times of Day: Moies, Mëttes, Owes, Nuets.

Words in This Pattern

desufangsausgangsEnnvun