-'

See also: '

English

Pronunciation

Pronunciation of -s', -es':

• (after a vowel or a voiced consonant other than a sibilant) enPR: z, zəz, IPA^(key): /z/, /zɪz/
• (after voiceless consonants /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, or /θ/) enPR: s, səz, IPA^(key): /s/, /sɪz/
• (after sibilant consonants /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/):
  • enPR: ĭz, IPA^(key): /ɪz/
  • enPR: əz, IPA^(key): /əz/

Particle

-’

1. Possessive marker used on plurals that end with -s (or -es, etc).

   Chris’s heart leapt when she saw the expressions on her teachers’ faces.

   their faces’ expressions

   The countesses’ husbands were generally quite lavish.

2. Possessive marker sometimes used on singular nouns (names) which end in s, indicating than an object belongs to the noun bearing the marker.

   Jesus' disciples

   Chris' cake recipe

   • 2014 August 29, Minyvonne Burke, “Robin Williams Death: Actor’s Ghost Haunting Home He Died In, Playing Practical Jokes?”, in HNGN Headlines & Global News‎^[1]:

     Robin Williams’ ghost has apparently stuck around and is haunting the California home the actor died in.

Usage notes

• The plural possessive -s’ can be distinguished from the possessive marker -' on nouns that terminate in -s and from the possessive marker -'s (which see). Whether they are pronounced identically or differently varies between idiolects. The BBC prescribes the following distinction: (a) Dickens novel and Dickens’ novel /dɪkɪnz nɒvəl/, Dickens’s novel /dɪkɪnzɪz nɒvəl/; princess’s and princesses’ /pɹɪn.sɛs.ɪz/; i.e. adding bare ’ or -(e)s’ does not change pronunciation. Some speakers, however, may pronounce one or both as /ɪz/, i.e. Dickens’ as /ˈdɪkɪnzɪz/, princesses’ as /pɹɪn.sɛs.ɪs.ɪz/, and e.g. boys’ as /bɔɪzɪz/ (instead of the more common /bɔɪz/).
• Traditionally, the possessives of classical and Biblical names ending in s, such as Archimedes and Jesus, were written without a final “s”, i.e. the possessives were formed using bare ': Archimedes’ Principle (the principle of Archimedes), Jesus’ disciples (the disciples of Jesus). This may or may not be be distinguished from -'s in pronunciation; see -'s for more.
• In modern English, this practice may be extended to all names ending in s, i.e. both "Chris' recipe" and "Chris's recipe" may be found:
  • 2009, Karen Hitchcock, Little White Slips (→ISBN):

    Sam, the Lebanese milk bar man, followed Chris's recipe.

  • 2012, Jack Edward Shay, Bygone Binghamton: Remembering People and Places of the Past (→ISBN):

    That was Chris' recipe.

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Chickasaw

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔ/

Suffix

-'

1. verb nominalizing suffix

   ‎illi + ‎-' → ‎illi'

   ‎impa + ‎-' → ‎impa'

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Danish

Suffix

-'

1. forms the possessive of words ending in s, x or z

See also

• -'-
• -s

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German

Suffix

1. Used to form the genitive forms of names ending in -s, -ß, -x, -z or (foreign) -ce, similar to English -'. For other names, -s is used.

   Hans', Hoeneß', Felix', Ringelnatz', Joyce'

   Hans', Hoeneß', Felix's, Ringelnatz's, Joyce's

Synonyms

• (now rare) -ens

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Norwegian

Suffix

-'

1. Used to form the genitive of nouns that already end in -s, -x or -z. For other nouns, -s is used.