[Sidenote: _The double possessive._]
68. A peculiar form, a double possessive, has grown up and become a
fixed idiom in modern English.
In most cases, a possessive relation was expressed in Old English by
the inflection _-es_, corresponding to _'s_. The same relation was
expressed in French by a phrase corresponding to _of_ and its object.
Both of these are now used side by side; sometimes they are used
together, as one modifier, making a double possessive. For this there
are several reasons:--
[Sidenote: _Its advantages: Euphony_.]
(1) When a word is modified by _a_, _the_, _this_, _that_, _every_,
_no_, _any_, _each_, etc., and at the same time by a possessive noun,
it is distasteful to place the possessive before the modified noun,
and it would also alter the meaning: we place it after the modified
noun with _of_.
[Sidenote: _Emphasis._]
(2) It is more emphatic than the simple possessive, especially when
used with _this_ or _that_, for it brings out the modified word in
strong relief.
[Sidenote: _Clearness._]
(3) It prevents ambiguity. For example, in such a sentence as, "This
introduction _of Atterbury's_ has all these advantages" (Dr. Blair),
the statement clearly means only one thing,--the introduction which
Atterbury made. If, however, we use the phrase _of Atterbury_, the
sentence _might_ be understood as just explained, or it might mean
this act of introducing Atterbury. (See also Sec. 87.)
The following are some instances of double possessives:--
This Hall _of Tinville's_ is dark, ill-lighted except where she
stands.--CARLYLE.
Those lectures _of Lowell's_ had a great influence with me, and
I used to like whatever they bade me like.--HOWELLS
Niebuhr remarks that no pointed sentences _of Cæsar's_ can have
come down to us.--FROUDE.
Besides these famous books _of Scott's and Johnson's_, there is a
copious "Life" by Thomas Sheridan.--THACKERAY
Always afterwards on occasions of ceremony, he wore that quaint
old French sword _of the Commodore's_.--E.E. HALE.
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