BASQUEBASQUE LANGUAGELANGUAGE

HISTORYHISTORYThe origin of the Basque language is unknown.The most logical theory is that Basque was spoken for years and years around the Pyrenees mountains. It's the

oldest language in Europe.

Provinces and dialectProvinces and dialectThere are different dialects, according to the seven provinces. There are differences in the verbs, in the vocabulary and in the pronunciation. However we have invented an “official unified

Basque” to understand each other.

BorderBorder Politically, we are situated between

France and Spain This separates the Basque country in

two parts : Iparralde (the North) and Hegoalde (The South)

In the two parts we can see differences in vocabulary. In the North we take words from French whereas in the South from Spanish

Spain is organized in autonomous regions and so the South is in two parts

In the first part Basque is co-official with Spanish and in the second (Navarre/Nafarroa) it is different, it depends on the region

In the North, it's not official and French is the main language

What does Basque look like?

Gizon-emakume guztiak aske jaiotzen dira, duintasun eta eskubide berberak dituztela; eta ezaguera eta kontzientzia dutenez gero, elkarren artean senide legez jokatu beharra dute.

Translation All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They

are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

If we take a simple sentence

Etxe zahar bat dutLiterally in English:

house old a have I

We can see that the syntax is completely different from other European languages

That's all folks!!!That's all folks!!!