bizpahiru

Basque

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

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

Rhymes: -ai̯ɾu, -u
Hyphenation: biz‧pa‧hi‧ru

Determiner

bizpahiru (preposed)

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
inessive	inan	bizpahirutan	bizpahiruetan
locative	anim	—	—
locative	inan	bizpahirutako	bizpahiruetako
allative	anim	bizpahirurengana	bizpahiruengana
allative	inan	bizpahirutara	bizpahiruetara
terminative	anim	bizpahirurenganaino	bizpahiruenganaino
terminative	inan	bizpahirutaraino	bizpahiruetaraino
directive	anim	bizpahirurenganantz	bizpahiruenganantz
directive	inan	bizpahirutarantz	bizpahiruetarantz
destinative	anim	bizpahirurenganako	bizpahiruenganako
destinative	inan	bizpahirutarako	bizpahiruetarako
ablative	anim	bizpahirurengandik	bizpahiruengandik
ablative	inan	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] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
“bizpahiru”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005