inor
Basque
Etymology
From Proto-Basque *enor, composed of *e- (indefinite prefix) + *nor (“who”).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Southern) /iɲor/, [i.ɲo̞r]
- IPA(key): (Northern) /inor/, [i.no̞r]
Pronoun
inor
- anyone, anybody
- Hemen ez dago inor. ― There isn't anyone here.
- Inor etorri da? ― Did anyone come?
- no one, nobody (in negative contexts)
- Inork ere ez daki erantzuna. ― No one knows the answer.
Usage notes
- This word is a negative polarity item, occurring in contexts such as negative sentences, questions, and conditional clauses. The only positive statements in which it corresponds to "anyone" are mostly conditionals and questions.
- The inesive, locative, allative... inanimate forms are used in the sense "no place", for example inon (“nowhere”).
Declension
Declension of Basque indefinite interrogative and negative pronouns
| nor | zer | zein | zenbat | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| negative | indefinite (some) | indefinite (any) | negative | indefinite (some) | indefinite (any) | indefinite (any) | indefinite (some) | |||||
| absolutive | inor | norbait | edonor | ezer | zerbait | edozer | edozein | zenbait | ||||
| ergative | inork | norbaitek | edonork | ezerk | zebaitek | edozerk | edozeinek | zenbaitek | ||||
| dative | inori | norbaiti | edonori | ezeri | zerbaiti | edozeri | edozeini | zenbaiti | ||||
| genitive | inoren | norbaiten | edonoren | ezeren | zerbaiten | edozeren | edozeinen | zenbaiten | ||||
| comitative | inorekin | norbaitekin | edonorekin | ezerekin | zerbaitekin | edozerekin | edozeinekin | zenbaitekin | ||||
| causative | inorengatik | norbaitengatik | edonorengatik | ezerengatik | zerbaitengatik | edozerengatik | edozeinengatik | zenbaitengatik | ||||
| benefactive | inorentzat | norbaitentzat | edonorentzat | ezerentzat | zerbaitentzat | edozerentzat | edozeinentzat | zenbaitentzat | ||||
| instrumental | animate | inortaz | norbaitez | edonortaz | ― | ― | ― | edozeinetaz | zenbaitetaz | |||
| inanimate | ― | ― | ― | ezertaz | zerbaitez, zerbaitetaz | edozertaz | edozeinez | zenbaitez | ||||
| inessive | animate | inorengan | norbaitengan | edonorengan | ― | ― | ― | edozeinengan | zenbaitengan | |||
| inanimate | inon | nonbaiten | edonon | ezertan | zerbaitetan | edozertan | zeinetan | zenbaitean, zenbaitetan | ||||
| locative | animate | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | ― | |||
| inanimate | inongo | norabaiteko | edonongo | ― | zerbaitetako | ― | edozeinetako | zenbaiteko, zenbaitetako | ||||
| allative | animate | inorengana | norbaitengana | edonorengana | ― | ― | ― | edozeinengana | zenbaitengana | |||
| inanimate | inora | norabaitera | edonora | ezertara | zerbaitera | edozertara | edozeinetara | zenbaitetara | ||||
| terminative | animate | inorenganaino | norbaitenganaino | edonorenganaino | ― | ― | ― | edozeinenganaino | zenbaitenganaino | |||
| inanimate | inoraino | norabaiteraino | edonoraino | ezertaraino | zerbaiteraino | edozertaraino | edozeinetaraino | zenbaitetaraino | ||||
| directive | animate | inorenganantz | norbaitenganantz | edonorenganantz | ― | ― | ― | edozeinenganantz | zenbaitenganantz | |||
| inanimate | inorantz | norabaiterantz | edonorantz | ezertarantz | zerbaiterantz | edozertarantz | edozeinetarantz | zenbaitetarantz | ||||
| destinative | animate | inorenganako | norbaitenganako | edonorenganako | ― | ― | ― | edozeinenganako | zenbaitenganako | |||
| inanimate | inorako | norabaiterako | edonorako | ezertarako | zerbaiterako | edozertarako | edozeinetarako | zenbaitetarako | ||||
| ablative | animate | inorengandik | norbaitengandik | edonorengandik | ― | ― | ― | edozeinengandik | zenbaitengandik | |||
| inanimate | inondik | ― | edonondik | ezertatik | zerbaitetatik | edozertatik | edozeinetatik | zenbaitetatik | ||||
References
- “nor” in Etymological Dictionary of Basque by R. L. Trask, sussex.ac.uk
Further reading
- "inor" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
- “inor” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus