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#181533 - 01/07/09 12:24 PM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: ParkinT]
LukeJavan8 Offline
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Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5373
Loc: Land of the Flat Water



I believe it, emotional attachment.
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#204467 - 02/01/12 10:39 AM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: ]
LukeJavan8 Offline
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Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5373
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Hi -back at you. Welcome.
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#204490 - 02/04/12 07:34 AM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: LukeJavan8]
Rhubarb Commando Offline
old hand

Registered: 11/13/11
Posts: 1039
Loc: Lancaster, UK
Good to have you here, zeun. We're a mad bunch, but mostly harmless!
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#204494 - 02/04/12 11:41 AM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: Rhubarb Commando]
LukeJavan8 Offline
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Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 5373
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Be careful with that statement RC.
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#204505 - 02/05/12 10:01 AM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: LukeJavan8]
Rhubarb Commando Offline
old hand

Registered: 11/13/11
Posts: 1039
Loc: Lancaster, UK
Careful? Me? C'mon, now - I have a reputation to maintain.
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#204510 - 02/05/12 02:01 PM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: BranShea]
Faldage Offline
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Registered: 12/01/00
Posts: 13667
Incidentally, getting back to the original question:
Back when case meant something in English and we actually marked it in nouns different prepositions took different cases in their noun objects. We have dumped all case markings in nouns except the genitive. So, the one case where it is shown we think is abnormal. Really, it's all the instances where it's not shown that are the abnormal ones.

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#204512 - 02/06/12 01:56 AM Re: at my sister's, of my sister's. [Re: BranShea]
BranShea Offline
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Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
I dug up the initial post
Originally Posted By: BranShea
Here's a little thing I longtime wanted to ask. You say:

I will be at my sister's.
She's a friend of my sister's.

In the first sentence this seems clearly to mean: "At my sister's " house or place.
The second form always struck me as odd. "a friend of my sister's" ... what?

Maybe I am making mistakes here, but I just would like to know the details about this. (thanks)

I reread the Michael Quinion article from Jim's link and keep on using the double genitive anyway as it's stuck in my head since schooldays. > link

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