Basque language facts for kids

Basque dialects

Basque (Basque: Euskara) is the language spoken by the Basque people in the Basque Country and its diaspora. Although most other Europeans speak Indo-European languages, Basque is a language isolate and is not related to them or to any other language in the world.

History and classification

The ancestors of Basques are among the oldest residents of Europe, and their origins are unknown, as are the origins of the language. Many scholars have tried to link Basque to Etruscan, African languages, Caucasian languages and so on, but most see Basque as a language isolate. A connection with the Iberian language has given some hope, but it is unclear whether similarities are caused by genetic relations or mere vicinity. It was spoken long before the Romans brought Latin to the Iberian Peninsula.

Geographic distribution

Percentage of fluent speakers of Basque.

Basque is spoken in an area that is smaller than what is known as the Basque Country (Basque: Euskal Herria). Basque was once spoken over a larger area, but Latin took over in some places.

Official status

Historically, Latin or a Romance language has been official.

Today Basque holds co-official language status in the Basque regions of Spain: the full autonomous community of the Basque Country and some parts of Navarre. Basque has no official standing in the Northern Basque area of France, and French citizens are barred from using Basque in a French court of law.

Dialects

There are six main Basque dialects, comprising Biscayan, Guipuzcoan, and High Navarrese (in Spain), and Low Navarrese, Labourdin, and Souletin (in France). The dialect boundaries are not, however, congruent with political boundaries. One of the first scientific studies of Basque dialects, in particular the auxiliary verb forms, was made by Louis-Lucien Bonaparte (a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte).

Derived languages

There is now a unified version called Batua ("unified" in Basque), which is the language taught in schools. Batua is based largely on the Gipuzkoa regional dialect.

Grammar

Basque is an ergative-absolutive language. Its grammar is very complex, with many different cases for nouns.

The vowel system is the same as most Spanish-speakers and has five pure vowels.

Vocabulary

By contact with nearby peoples, Basque has borrowed words from Latin, Spanish, French, Gascon and others but accepted fewer than Indo-European languages. Some claim that many of its words come from Latin, but phonetic evolution has made many of them now appear as if they were native words, e.g. lore ("flower", from florem), errota ("mill", from rotam, "[mill] wheel"), gela ("room", from cellam).

Writing system

Basque is written with the Latin alphabet. The universal special letter is ñ, which is pronounced like the n in onion, and ç and ü are also used. Basque does not use c, q, v, w, y except for loanwords and are not considered part of the alphabet. Also, x is pronounced as a sh, as in shine.

Sample phrases

• Bai = Yes
• Ez = No
• Kaixo!, = Hello
• Agur!, Adio! = Goodbye!
• Ikusi arte = See you!
• Eskerrik asko! = Thank you!
• Egun on = Good morning (literally: Good day)
• Egun on, bai = Standard reply to Egun on
• Arratsalde on = Good evening
• Gabon = Good night
• Mesedez = Please
• Barkatu = Excuse (me)
• Aizu! = Listen! (To get someone's attention, not very polite, to be used with friends)
• Kafe hutsa nahi nuke = Can I have a coffee?
• Kafe ebakia nahi nuke = Can I have a macchiato?
• Kafesnea nahi nuke = Can I have a café latte?
• Garagardoa nahi nuke = Can I have a beer?
• Komunak = Toilets
• Komuna, non dago? = Where are the toilets?
• Non dago tren-geltokia? = Where is the train station?
• Non dago autobus-geltokia? = Where is the bus station?
• Ba al da hotelik hemen inguruan? = Where is the (nearest, only) hotel?
• Zorionak = Happy holidays (During Christmas and new year's), congratulations
• Ez dakit euskaraz= I do not speak Basque
• Ba al dakizu ingelesez?= Do you speak English?
• Nongoa zara? = Where are you from?
• Non dago...? = Where is...?
• Badakizu euskaraz? = Do you speak Basque?
• Bai ote? = Really?
• Topa! = Cheers!
• Hementxe! = Over / right here!
• Geldi!= Stop
• Lasai= Take it easy
• Ez dut nahi= I do not want

Grammar

Images for kids

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  Percentage of students registered in Basque language schools (2000–2005)

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  Inscription with Basque-like lexical forms identified as "UME ZAHAR", Lerga (Navarre)

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  Official status of the Basque language in Navarre

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  Map showing the historical retreat and expansion of Basque within the context of its linguistic neighbours between the years 1000 and 2000

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  Lines in an exercise book given as punishment during Franco's regime. The line is "En la escuela no tengo que hablar vasco" (transl. "I will not speak in Basque at school").

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  The modern dialects of Basque according to 21st-century dialectology.      Western (Biscayan)     Central (Gipuzkoan)     Upper Navarrese     Lower Navarrese–Lapurdian     Souletin (Zuberoan)     other Basque areas ca 1850 (Bonaparte)

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  An example of Basque lettering in a funerary stela.

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  The letters of the alphabet in a Basque style font.

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  An example of the number system employed by millers.

See also

In Spanish: Euskera para niños