Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which Basque form of address requires allocutive verb forms?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Basque language
Extent of the Basque language area
In the Basque language, the form of address that requires the use of allocutive verb forms is the pronoun hi, which corresponds to the familiar "you."1
When using this form of address, all nonsubordinate verbs must agree with the gender of the addressee. For example, the statement "I don't know" changes based on the listener: it is ez dakit in the unmarked form, ez zekiat when addressing a male, and ez zekinat when addressing a female. Additionally, in certain northeastern dialects, this type of addressee agreement also extends to the zu (singular polite) form of address.1