Euskara

Basque

Language isolate

FamilyLanguage isolate Speakers~750K ScriptLatin CountriesSpain (Basque Country), France Official inSpain (co-official) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3eus

Also known as: Basque, Euskara

Basque (Euskara) is a language isolate — not demonstrably related to any other living language family — with ~750K speakers in the Basque Country spanning northeastern Spain (Hegoalde: Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Araba, Navarre) and southwestern France (Iparralde: Lapurdi, Lower Navarre, Soule). It is co-official with Spanish in the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre. As the only surviving pre-Indo-European language of Western Europe, Basque predates Latin in the region (Roman-era Aquitanian inscriptions are likely a Basque ancestor). Linguistically distinctive for ergative-absolutive case marking (rare in Europe), polypersonal verbal agreement encoding subject, direct object, and indirect object simultaneously, and SOV word order. The standardized form Euskara Batua was developed by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia) starting 1968, drawing primarily on the central Gipuzkoan dialect. Strong revitalization since the 1980s through ikastolak (Basque-medium schools).

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Basque

Water

ur

ur

Fire

su

su

Sun

eguzki

eɣuski

Moon

ilargi

ilaɾɣi

Star

izar

is̻ar

Night

gau

ɡau

Rain

euri

ˈeuɾi

Snow

elur

elur

Wind

haize

ˈaise

Earth

lur

luɾ

Stone

harri

ˈari

Mountain

mendi

ˈmendi

Sea

itsaso

iˈts̻aso

Mother

ama

ama

Father

aita

aita

Daughter

alaba

alaba

I

ni

ni

You

hi

hi

We

gu

ɡu

Name

izen

is̻en

Person

pertsona

perˈts̻ona

Head

buru

buɾu

Eye

begi

beɣi

Ear

belarri

belari

Nose

sudur

s̻uður

Mouth

aho

ˈaho

Tooth

hortz

orts̻

Tongue

mihi

mihi

Hand

esku

esku

Foot

oin

ojn

Heart

bihotz

biots

Bone

hezur

esur

Blood

odol

odol

Poop

kaka

kaka

Love

maitasun

maitasun

Tree

zuhaitz

suaits

Dog

txakur

tʃakur

Cat

katu

katu

Fish

arrain

aˈrajn

Bird

txori

tʃoɾi

Butterfly

tximeleta

tʃimeleta

Egg

arrautza

arauts̻a

Bear

hartz

arts

Horse

zaldi

s̻aldi

House

etxe

etʃe

Milk

esne

esne

Honey

ezti

es̻ti

Salt

gatz

ɡats̻

Wine

ardo

ardo

Rice

arroz

aˈros

Chocolate

txokolate

tʃokolate

Iron

burdina

burdina

Wheel

gurpil

ɡurpil

Silk

zeta

ˈset̪a

Book

liburu

liβuɾu

Eat

jan

jan

Drink

edan

eðan

Sleep

lo egin

lo eɡin

One

bat

bat

Two

bi

bi

Three

hiru

iɾu

Four

lau

lau

Five

bost

bost̪

Hundred

ehun

eun

Hello

kaixo

kaiʃo

Thank you

eskerrik asko

esˈkerik ˈasko

Good

on

on

New

berri

beri

Red

gorri

ˈɡori

White

zuri

s̻uɾi

Black

beltz

bels̻

Green

berde

ˈbeɾde

Blue

urdin

urˈdin

Cuckoo

kuku

ˈkuku

Woof

au au

au au

Cock-a-doodle-doo

kukurruku

kukuˈruku

Computer

ordenagailu

ordenaˈɡai̯lu

Sushi

sushi

s̺uʃi

Tea

te

te

Coffee

kafe

kafe

Sugar

azukre

as̻ukɾe

Orange

laranja

laɾanʃa

Ninety-nine

laurogeita hemeretzi

lauɾoɣeita emeɾetsi

Dopamine

dopamina

dopaˈmina

At sign

a bildua

a βilˈdua

Internet laughter

karkarkar

karkarkar

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Language isolate

Meaning BasqueAsturianSardinianSalvadoran SpanishExtremaduranArgentine SpanishMexican Spanish
Water ur /ur/ agua /ˈaɣwa/ abba /abba/ agua /ˈaɣwa/ augua /ˈawɣwa/ agua /ˈaɣwa/ agua /ˈaɣwa/
Fire su /su/ fueu /ˈfweu/ fogu /foɣu/ fuego /ˈfweɣo/ huegu /ˈhweɣu/ fuego /ˈfweɣo/ fuego /ˈfweɣo/
Sun eguzki /eɣuski/ sol /sol/ sole /sole/ sol /sol/ sol /sɔl/ sol /sol/ sol /sol/
Moon ilargi /ilaɾɣi/ lluna /ˈʎuna/ luna /luna/ luna /ˈluna/ luna /ˈluna/ luna /ˈluna/ luna /ˈluna/
Star izar /is̻ar/ estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ isteddu /isˈteɖɖu/ estrella /esˈtɾeʝa/ estrella /ehˈtɾeʎa/ estrella /esˈtɾeʃa/ estrella /esˈtɾeʝa/
Night gau /ɡau/ nueche /ˈnwetʃe/ notte /ˈnɔtːe/ noche /ˈnotʃe/ nochi /ˈnotʃi/ noche /ˈnotʃe/ noche /ˈnotʃe/
Rain euri /ˈeuɾi/ lluvia /ˈʎuβja/ proja /ˈproja/ lluvia /ˈʝuβja/ lluvia /ˈʎuβja/ lluvia /ˈʒuβja/ lluvia /ˈʝuβja/
Snow elur /elur/ nieve /njeβe/ nie /nie/ nieve /ˈnjeβe/ ñevi /ˈɲeβi/ nieve /ˈnjeβe/ nieve /ˈnjeβe/
Page 1/11

Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Basque
Nik hotelaren aurreko dendan ikusi nuen trajea probatu nahi dut
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

クアニ トイタ ノ ペカ ウェン パ タ ヌカラ アミプ キ ルスイ
Basque
Nik hotelaren aurreko dendan ikusi nuen trajea probatu nahi dut
𒈠|ma 𒂍𒉡𒌦|e₂-nu-un 𒆠𒁀|ki-ba 𒂍𒌓|e₂-ud 𒆠|ki 𒁀𒊏|ba-ra 𒆠𒁀|ki-ba 𒊏|ra 𒁉|bi

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