Morpho-Semantic Features in Genitive Case Markers of Pothowari

This study investigates the morpho-semantic behavior of genitive case markers in the Pothowari dialect, spoken in the northern-central region of Pakistan, particularly in the Rawalpindi district. Despite its rich oral tradition and expressive vocabulary, Pothowari remains underexplored in formal linguistic research. The study identifies a significant gap in understanding how genitive relations are encoded morphologically and semantically in Pothowari as compared to structurally related languages such as English, Urdu, and Punjabi. By examining patterns of possession, association, and kinship marking, this paper proposes a descriptive and comparative framework that accounts for both the morphological variation and semantic nuance of genitive constructions in Pothowari. The research contributes a novel perspective to South Asian case theory, offering the first systematic analysis of genitive markers in this dialect and demonstrating how they reveal underlying principles of linguistic economy and regional identity.