MatrixDoc_AdnominalPossession

On the specifier/modifier distinction:

Specifier-like possessors. In some strategies, the possessor takes the place that one would expect a specifier (such as a determiner) to take. English is a good example of this phenomenon:

Pat's book *the Pat's book

The possessum, book, cannot take a determiner, because the specifier role is being filled by the possessor Pat's.

Specifier-like possessors are also characterize by a word order wherein modifiers of the possessum appear between the possessor and the possessum:

Pat's blue book *blue Pat's book (where the book is the thing that is blue)

Modifier-like possessors. In some strategies the possessor functions more like a modifier of the possessum. Ancient Greek is an example of this kind of language. As seen below, the possessum can take an article irrespective of whether or not the possessor appears:

he: [ toû patros ] oikia

the.F.SG.NOM [ the.M.SG.GEN father(M).SG.GEN ] house(F)Sg.NOM

'the father's house' [gre]

Modifier-like possessors are also able to appear in varying orders relative to other modifiers.

NB: if you don't have data that suggests one analysis over another, the specifier-like analysis is a recommended default.

The specifier/modifier distinction in possessor pronouns:

Like full NP possessors, possessor pronouns can also act either like specifiers or modifiers.