edonor / edozer / edonon

Anyone, Anything: Edo-

Level 4

Put edo- in front of a question word to get any: nor → edonor (anyone), zer → edozer (anything), non → edonon (anywhere), noiz → edonoiz (any time). Edozer jaten du means He eats anything.

How It Works

The set.

  • edonor (anyone), edozer (anything), edozein (any, whichever)
  • edonon (anywhere), edonora (to anywhere), edonondik (from anywhere)
  • edonoiz (any time)

Case endings. These words take case endings like the question word they come from: ergative edonork, dative edonori. Edonork egin dezake (Anyone can do it) needs -k because edonor is the doer of a nor-nork verb.

edozein + noun. Like zein, edozein goes before its noun, which takes no article: edozein egunetan (on any day), edozein autobus (any bus). On its own it means anyone or any one of them: Edozeinek daki hori (Anyone knows that).

Which any? Basque uses three different sets where English uses any- and some-:

  • Any at all, in positive sentences: edonor, edozer. Edonori galdetu (Ask anyone).
  • In negative sentences and questions: inor, ezer. Ez dut inor ikusi (I haven't seen anyone).
  • A particular but unknown one: norbait, zerbait. Norbait etorri da (Someone has come).

With ez, edonor means just anyone: Hori ez da edonor (He is not just anybody). The words nornahi, zernahi and nonahi mean the same as edonor, edozer and edonon, and they are not limited to one region: Hori ez da nornahi also means He is not just anybody.

Examples (6)

  1. Edonork egin dezake.

    Anyone can do it.

    edonork is ergative: the doer of egin dezake.

  2. Nire semeak edozer jaten du.

    My son eats anything.

  3. Edonon lo egin dezaket.

    I can sleep anywhere.

  4. Deitu edonoiz.

    Call any time.

  5. Edozein autobus har dezakezu.

    You can take any bus.

    edozein comes before the noun, which has no article.

  6. Hori ez da edonor.

    He is not just anybody.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the ergative -k.

    Edonor egin dezake.
    Edonork egin dezake.

    edonor is the doer of egin dezake, a nor-nork verb, so it takes -k like any other subject.

  • Using edonor to mean not anybody.

    Ez dut edonor ikusi.
    Ez dut inor ikusi.

    To say I have not seen anyone, use inor. Ez dut edonor ikusi would mean I have not seen just anyone, which is not what was meant.

  • Adding the article after edozein.

    Edozein autobusa har dezakezu.
    Edozein autobus har dezakezu.

    As after zein, the noun after edozein takes no article.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

edonor / edozer / edononLevel 4Anyone, Anything: Edo-

Learn This First

edonor follows norbait.

Words in This Pattern

edonoredozeredozeredononedozein