haizerik ez den urtean
Basque
FWOTD – 22 July 2025
Etymology
Literally, “in a year without wind”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Navarro-Lapurdian) /hai̯s̻eɾik es̻ den urtean/ [hai̯.s̻e.ɾik ez̻ ð̞ẽn ur.t̪e.ãn]
- Hyphenation: hai‧ze‧rik ez den ur‧te‧an
Adverb
haizerik ez den urtean (not comparable)
- (idiomatic, often ironic) never, when pigs fly (usually referring to payments or obligations)
- 1887 January, Victoriano Iraola, “Ostalariya eta erapekoa”, in Euskal-Erria, San Sebastián, page 553:
- ―¿Noiz pagatuko nazu bada?
―¿Noiz? Aizerik eztan urtian.- "When will you pay me?"
"When? In a year without wind!"
- "When will you pay me?"
Further reading
- “haizerik ez den urtean”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
- “haizerik ez den urtean”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005