Discover Euskara, aka the Basque language

Basque Language: A Mysterious Origin Story

Euskara (or the Basque language) is spoken in Basque Country, also called Euskal herria which just means “the country where they speak Basque.” Inhabitants of this area are called Euskalduna (people who speak Basque).

The origins of Euskara have been shrouded in mystery and intrigue for centuries. Contrary to the majority of European language, Euskara doesn’t belong to any known linguistic family, which makes it a living fossil. Researchers don’t know its origins and consider it a linguistic isolate. Many theories try to explain its origins, some of which suggest a relation with Pre-Indo-European languages. Compared to other ancient languages like Sumerian or Etruscan, Euskara is still a fascinating linguistic anomaly.

Basque Speakers

Today, Euskara is primarily spoken in the Basque regions of northern Spain and southwest France. It’s difficult to establish an exact number of speakers because several different sets of criteria enter the game: there are those that understand, those that speak, those who use it like a native language, or those who only have a basic understanding, amongst other groups. On top of that, Euskara is spoken in a region that covers two different countries.

In a nutshell, a little more than 750,000 speakers of Basque would be a good estimation. Amongst them, we count around 51,000 speakers in French Basque Country and around 716,000 in Spanish Basque Country. Recent linguistic maps show a significant concentration of speakers in the Spanish provinces of Gipuzkoa, Biscaye, and a part of Navarre. In France, the language is less widespread but is still alive and well in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region.

What is the Basque Language Like?

Did you know?

Would you like to know some interesting details about the Basque language? You might be surprised to learn that:

• there are no accents in the language
• there isn’t (typically) a distinction between masculine and feminine, like English
• Basque has declined over time, like Latin and has 16 cases
• their number system is based on the number 20
• sentence structure is generally “Subject + Object + Verb”
• Basque is considered like one of the most complex and difficult languages to learn

To hear a little of what the Basque language sounds like, and maybe even learn some new words, watch this video by Iñaki, a native Basque speaker.

Source : Wikitongues

Pronunciation and Vocabulary

Euskara, like Spanish, pronounces all of the letters. There’s no changes or exceptions like the many we have in English. The majority of letters sound similar to French, except for these:

• e is pronounced /eh/
• g is pronounced /guh/
• j is pronounced /dee/
• s is pronounced /sh/
• u is pronounced /oo/
• x is pronounced /ch/
• z is pronounced /s/
• tx is pronounced /tch/

To wrap up for today, we propose this short list of commonly used vocabulary words as a first step towards learning the Basque language.

All that’s left is to go and discover this original and enigmatic language! Enjoy your language journey!

For More Information

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