Genitive Case in Kazakh (-ның/-нің, -дың/-дің, -тың/-тің)

The *Genitive Case (Ілік септік) designates possession, origin, or a whole-to-part relationship. In Kazakh, the genitive suffix has six phonetic allomorphs* obeying vowel harmony and consonant assimilation:

1. -ның / -нің: Attached after vowels (а, е, ы, і, о, ө, ұ, ү) and the sonorants й, у, м, н, ң: - баланың* (the child's), үйнің (of the house), адамның (the person's). 2. -дың / -дің: Attached after the sonorants л, р, з, ж: - ауылдың (the village's), көлдің (the lake's), қыздың (the girl's). 3. -тың / -тің: Attached after all voiceless consonants (к, қ, п, с, т, ш, ф, х): - мектептің (the school's), кітаптың (the book's), қазақтың* (the Kazakh's).

*Double-Marking Rule (Изафет): When a possessor takes the genitive suffix, the possessed noun must obligatorily take a 3rd person possessive suffix (-ы/-і/-сы/-сі): Асқардың кітабы (Asqar's book), мектептің мұғалімі (the teacher of the school). Kazakh also uses unmarked izafet compounds where the genitive is omitted (мектеп мұғалімі* = school teacher, generic), but specific owners strictly require the full genitive case suffix.