1. To denote some internal or permanent characteristic of a person or thing; as,—
vir magnae virtūtis, a man of great virtue;
ratiōnēs ejus modī, considerations of that sort.
a. Only a limited number of Adjectives occur in this construction, chiefly magnus, maximus, summus, tantus, along with ejus.
2. To denote measure (breadth, length, etc.); as,—
fossa quīndecim pedum, a trench fifteen feet wide (or deep);
exsilium decem annōrum, an exile of ten years.
3. Equivalent to the Genitive of Quality (though probably of different origin) are the Genitives tantī, quantī, parvī, magnī, minōris, plūris, minimī, plūrimī, maximī. These are used predicatively to denote indefinite value; as,—
nūlla studia tantī sunt, no studies are of so much value;
magnī opera ejus exīstimāta est, his assistance was highly esteemed.
4. By an extension of the notion of value, quantī, tantī, plūris, and minōris are also used with verbs of buying and selling, to denote indefinite price; as,—
quantī aedēs ēmistī, at how high a price did you purchase the house?
5. Any of the above varieties of the Genitive of Quality may be used predicatively; as,—