Euskara
Basque
Language isolate
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
31 core words in Basque
Water
ur
/ur/
Fire
su
/su/
Sun
eguzki
/eɣuski/
Moon
ilargi
/ilaɾɣi/
Star
izar
/is̻ar/
Mother
ama
/ama/
Father
aita
/aita/
I
ni
/ni/
You
hi
/hi/
Name
izen
/is̻en/
Eye
begi
/beɣi/
Hand
esku
/esku/
Heart
bihotz
/biots/
Love
maitasun
/maitasun/
Tree
zuhaitz
/suaits/
House
etxe
/etʃe/
Dog
txakur
/tʃakur/
Cat
katu
/katu/
Eat
jan
/jan/
Drink
edan
/eðan/
One
bat
/bat/
Two
bi
/bi/
Hello
kaixo
/kaiʃo/
Thank you
eskerrik asko
/esˈkerik ˈasko/
Good
on
/on/
Cuckoo
kuku
/ˈkuku/
Woof
au au
/au au/
Computer
ordenagailu
/ordenaˈɡai̯lu/
Sushi
sushi
/s̺uʃi/
Dopamine
dopamina
/dopaˈmina/
At sign (@)
a bildua
/a βilˈdua/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Language isolate languages
| Meaning | Basque | Romansh | Sardinian | Bulgarian | Hebrew | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Piedmontese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ur /ur/ | aua /awa/ | abba /abba/ | вода /vɔda/ | מים /majim/ | samaqan /samakʷan/ | eva /ˈeva/ |
| Fire | su /su/ | fieu /fjew/ | fogu /foɣu/ | огън /ɔɡɤn/ | אש /eʃ/ | skwut /skʷut/ | feu /føː/ |
| Sun | eguzki /eɣuski/ | sulegl /suleʎ/ | sole /sole/ | слънце /slɤntsɛ/ | שמש /ʃemeʃ/ | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | ilargi /ilaɾɣi/ | glina /ɡlina/ | luna /luna/ | луна /luna/ | ירח /jaˈʁeaχ/ | nipawset /nipawset/ | lun-a /ˈlyŋa/ |
| Star | izar /is̻ar/ | staila /ˈʃtai̯la/ | istella /isˈtɛlːa/ | звезда /zvɛzˈda/ | כוכב /koˈxav/ | possesom /pəsːesɒm/ | stèila /ˈstɛjla/ |
| Mother | ama /ama/ | mamma /mama/ | mama /mama/ | майка /majka/ | אמא /ima/ | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | mare /ˈmare/ |
| Father | aita /aita/ | bab /bap/ | babbu /babbu/ | баща /bɐʃˈta/ | אבא /aba/ | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | pare /ˈpare/ |
| I | ni /ni/ | jau /jaw/ | deo /ˈdɛo/ | аз /as/ | אני /aˈni/ | nil /nil/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | hi /hi/ | ti /ti/ | tue /ˈtue/ | ти /ti/ | אתה /aˈta/ | kil /kil/ | ti /ti/ |
| Name | izen /is̻en/ | num /num/ | nòmine /ˈnɔmine/ | име /ˈime/ | שם /ʃem/ | wisuwon /wisəwɒn/ | nòm /nɔm/ |
| Eye | begi /beɣi/ | egl /eʎ/ | ogru /ˈoɣru/ | око /ɔkɔ/ | עין /ajin/ | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | euj /øj/ |
| Hand | esku /esku/ | maun /mawn/ | manu /manu/ | ръка /rɤka/ | יד /jad/ | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | man /maŋ/ |
| Heart | bihotz /biots/ | cor /kɔr/ | core /kore/ | сърце /sɤrtsɛ/ | לב /lev/ | utʼine /utinə/ | cheur /kør/ |
| Love | maitasun /maitasun/ | amur /amur/ | amore /amore/ | любов /ljubɔf/ | אהבה /ahava/ | kosi /kosi/ | amor /aˈmur/ |
| Tree | zuhaitz /suaits/ | planta /planta/ | àrbure /ˈarbure/ | дърво /dɤrvɔ/ | עץ /ets/ | ʼsupi /supi/ | àrbol /ˈarbol/ |
| House | etxe /etʃe/ | chasa /tʃaza/ | domo /domo/ | къща /kɤʃtɐ/ | בית /bajit/ | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | ca /ka/ |
| Dog | txakur /tʃakur/ | chaun /tʃawn/ | cane /kane/ | куче /kutʃɛ/ | כלב /kelev/ | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | can /kaŋ/ |
| Cat | katu /katu/ | giat /dʒat/ | gattu /ɡattu/ | котка /kɔtka/ | חתול /χatul/ | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | gat /ɡat/ |
| Eat | jan /jan/ | mangiar /mandʒar/ | mandigare /mandiɡare/ | ям /jam/ | לאכול /leχol/ | mititi /mititi/ | mangé /maɲˈdʒe/ |
| Drink | edan /eðan/ | baiver /bajver/ | bìere /ˈbiere/ | пия /pijɐ/ | לשתות /liʃtot/ | mun /mun/ | bèive /ˈbɛive/ |
| One | bat /bat/ | in /in/ | unu /unu/ | един /ɛdin/ | אחד /eχad/ | pesokul /pesokul/ | un /yŋ/ |
| Two | bi /bi/ | dus /dus/ | duos /ˈduɔs/ | две /dvɛ/ | שתיים /ʃˈtajim/ | nis /nis/ | doi /dui/ |
| Hello | kaixo /kaiʃo/ | allegra /aleɡra/ | salude /salude/ | здравей /zdravɛj/ | שלום /ʃalom/ | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | ciao /tʃao/ |
| Thank you | eskerrik asko /esˈkerik ˈasko/ | grazia /ɡratsia/ | gràtzias /ˈɡrattsjas/ | благодаря /blaɡɔdarʲa/ | תודה /toda/ | woliwon /woliwon/ | gràssie /ˈɡrasːie/ |
| Good | on /on/ | bun /bun/ | bonu /bonu/ | добър /dɔbɤr/ | טוב /tov/ | woli /woli/ | bon /buŋ/ |
| Cuckoo | kuku /ˈkuku/ | cucu /ˈkuku/ | cucu /ˈkuku/ | кукувица /kukuˈvitsɐ/ | קוּקִיָּה /kukiˈja/ | — | coco /ˈkuku/ |
| Woof | au au /au au/ | — | — | бау бау /bau bau/ | הַב הַב /hav hav/ | — | — |
| Computer | ordenagailu /ordenaˈɡai̯lu/ | computer /kɔmˈpjuːtər/ | computer /komˈpjuter/ | компютър /komˈpjutɤr/ | מחשב /maχˈʃev/ | — | computer /komˈpjuter/ |
| Sushi | sushi /s̺uʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | суши /ˈsuʃi/ | סושי /ˈsuʃi/ | — | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ |
| Dopamine | dopamina /dopaˈmina/ | dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | — | допамин /dopɐˈmin/ | דופמין /dopaˈmin/ | — | — |
| At sign (@) | a bildua /a βilˈdua/ | — | — | маймунка /mɐjˈmunkɐ/ | שטרודל /ˈʃtrudel/ | — | — |
Word order compared
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