bizpahiru

Basque

Etymology

Univerbation of bi (“two”) +‎ ez (“not”) +‎ bada (“if it is”) +‎ hiru (“three”), literally “two if it is not three”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Navarro-Lapurdian) /bis̻pahiɾu/ [bis̻.pa.hi.ɾu]

 

• IPA^(key): (Southern) /bis̻pai̯ɾu/ [bis̻.pai̯.ɾu]

• IPA^(key): (Gipuzkoan, Navarrese) /bis̻pai̯ɾu/ [bis̻.pai̯.ɾu]
• IPA^(key): (Biscayan) /bis̺pai̯ɾu/ [bis̺.pai̯.ɾu]

• Rhymes: -ai̯ɾu
• Hyphenation: biz‧pa‧hi‧ru

Determiner

bizpahiru (preposed)

1. around two or three

Declension

Declension of bizpahiru (determiner, ending in vowel)

		indefinite	plural
absolutive		bizpahiru	bizpahiruak
ergative		bizpahiruk	bizpahiruek
dative		bizpahiruri	bizpahiruei
genitive		bizpahiruren	bizpahiruen
comitative		bizpahirurekin	bizpahiruekin
causative		bizpahirurengatik	bizpahiruengatik
benefactive		bizpahirurentzat	bizpahiruentzat
instrumental		bizpahiruz	bizpahiruez
inessive	anim.	bizpahirurengan	bizpahiruengan
	inanim.	bizpahirutan	bizpahiruetan
locative	anim.	—	—
	inanim.	bizpahirutako	bizpahiruetako
allative	anim.	bizpahirurengana	bizpahiruengana
	inanim.	bizpahirutara	bizpahiruetara
terminative	anim.	bizpahirurenganaino	bizpahiruenganaino
	inanim.	bizpahirutaraino	bizpahiruetaraino
directive	anim.	bizpahirurenganantz	bizpahiruenganantz
	inanim.	bizpahirutarantz	bizpahiruetarantz
destinative	anim.	bizpahirurenganako	bizpahiruenganako
	inanim.	bizpahirutarako	bizpahiruetarako
ablative	anim.	bizpahirurengandik	bizpahiruengandik
	inanim.	bizpahirutatik	bizpahiruetatik
partitive		bizpahirurik	—
prolative		bizpahirutzat	—

Derived terms

• bizpahiruetan (“twice or thrice”)
• bizpahiruna (“two or three each”)
• bizpahirunaka (“in groups of two or three each”)

 

Further reading

• “bizpahiru”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], Euskaltzaindia
• “bizpahiru”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005