German s-plural & the genitive [Re: Creole Romance?]

"Pluralendung -s (diese ist aus dem Niederdeutschen

> [bei anderen Wörtern aus dem Französischen oder Englischen]
> übernommen und hat sich bei einigen Wörtern eingebürgert,
> vor allem bei Tiernamen und --> Kurzwörtern, die auf einen
> Vokal ausgehen: /Uhus, Zebras; Akkus, Unis, Hochs, Tiefs/"
> (from Wahrig, Deutsches Wörterbuch, the introductory part
> of it, grammar) as well as Mädels, Jungs, Kerls, Muttis,
> Vatis, Omas, Opas ... (hoch, tief, Uhu, Mädel, Jung(e), Kerl,
> Mutti, Vati, Oma, Opa are no(t only) niederdeutsche words,
> but also mittel- and oberdeutsche or rather mittel-/ober-
> deutsche than niederdeutsche variants.)
>

Staus! But it seems after 1945 the German 'gave up' the attempt to
'outlaw' the s-plural. That makes sense politically too, right?

> >The explanation I've seen is that it's short for Müllers
> >Haus etc.
>
> Müllers Haus = Müller's Haus = das Haus der Person
> namens Müller. But in that house live... the Müllers
> -> "in jenem Haus wohnen die Müllers".
>
> >That genitive apostrophe thing appears in Danish too. I believe
> >it's a recent influence from English.
>
> In German "Rechtschreibung" it is recommended since 1902
> (or 1904? - I'm lazy to look it up in the same Wahrig now :-)
> that one writes Müllers and not longer Müller's. But virtually
> nobody gives a darn on the recommendation, so that from
> Schleswig to Konstanz and Aachen to Vienna most signs read
> Maier's Bäckerei, Müller's Brauerei etc. (I don't know how
> it is on Bahnhofstr. in Zürich. :))
>

I still think the apostrophe-less form is the oldest. It makes sense
in a German context to see it as a case form (cf sg. m.n. dat. -e,
pl. dat. -(e)n) instead of (as in English) as a loose particle.

Torsten