alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

ETYMOLOGY-NOUNS-POSSESSIVE. 33
for his, as some have supposed, is manifest from tbe fact, tbat it is used
where his could not be properly employed; tbus, woman's, men's, children's,
book's, &c.. can not he resolved into woman ~his, men his, children
his, &c.
The apostrophe (') after s in tbe plural, is not a mark of abbreviation,
but is used, in modern times, merely as a sign of the possessive. Its use
in the pi ural is but of recent date.
173. When the nominative singular ends in 8S, or in letters of a similar
sound, tbough to retain the s after the apostrophe is never wrong, yet, as a
matter of taste, it is sometimes omitted in order to avoid barshness, or too
close a succession of If!ssing sounds; as, "For goodness' sake;" c, for con·
science' sake;" so also" Moses' disciples;" .. Jesus' feet."
174. NOTE.-There is considerable diversity of opinion and usage on
this point. Some few insist on retaining s after the apostrophe in every
position; as, .. Xanthus's stock of patience."-L'Estrange. Others drop
the 8 only before a word beginning with an s or an s·sound, as above;
while others drop the s wherever the use of it would produce harshness,
or difficulty of pronunciation. Though in this last, the usage which omits
the s is less prevalent and less accurate than that whi'Jh retains it, yet,
from the sanction it has obtained-ft'om the stiffness and harshness which
retaining the s often occasions-and from the tendency in all sp"ken language
to abbreviation and euphony, it seems destined to prevail against
all arguments to the contrary.
175. RE1CARK.-In written language, the omission of the s occasion9
but little inconvenience; for the apostrophe sufficiently indicates the case,
and the construction will generally indicate the number. In spoken Ian·
guage, however, tbe use of the 8 is more necessary, to avoid obscurity,
especially in proper names. Thus, in spoken language, .. Davy's Surveying,"
aDd "Davies' Surveying," sound preCisely alike, though the names
are different. Hence, to indicate the last name correctly in speaking', it
will be more accurate, though less euphonic, to say, " Davies's Surveying."
Tbus, also, .. Perkins' .Arithmetic," "Spark"' .Analysis," in spoken language,
may be mistaken for" Perkin's .Arithmetic," .. Spark's .Analysis."
In such cases, precision will be secured at the expense of euphony, by
retaining the s, while euphony will be attained, frequently at the expense
of precision, by dropping it.
176. The meaning of the possessive may, in general, be E'xpressed by
the word of with the obj~ctive; thus, for" man's wisdom," ., virtue's reward,"
we may say, .. the wisdom of man," "the reward of , virtue'" This
mode will generally be preferred, when the use of the possessive would
appeal' stiff or awkward; thus, "the length of the day," is better than
"the day's length." In some few words wbich want the possessive plural,
such as father-in-law, court-martial, &(1., this is the only substitute. These
two modes of expression, however, are not always equi valent; thus, .. the
king'. pictnre," means any picture belonging to the king; "a picture of
the king," means a portrait of him, without saying to whom it belongs.
So also, of with the objective, ean not always be represented by the possessive;
as, "A. piece of gold," .. a cord of wood," .. the house of reprBsentativ.,,"
elrc. 3