How is the genitive case often expressed in older forms of English?

The genitive case in older forms of English is often expressed through the ending 's and ' itself. This construction indicates possession or association, which is a primary function of the genitive case. For instance, in modern usage, we often say "the dog's bone," where the 's indicates that the bone belongs to the dog.

In older forms of English, this possessive construction was prevalent and is reflective of how relationships were denoted linguistically, emphasizing possession more explicitly. The other options involve combinations that do not accurately represent the traditional structure of the genitive form. Thus, recognizing that ' and s together form the core representation of the genitive case is crucial for understanding its historical grammar.