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The document discusses the Basque language, which is spoken in parts of northern Spain and southwest France. It is considered the only pre-Roman language still spoken in Europe today. While its origins are unknown, the Basque language has survived for centuries despite attempts of other languages and cultures to replace it. Today, around 900,000 people speak Basque, and the language is being promoted through schools, websites, and institutions to help preserve Basque culture and identity.

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49 views4 pages

Untitled

The document discusses the Basque language, which is spoken in parts of northern Spain and southwest France. It is considered the only pre-Roman language still spoken in Europe today. While its origins are unknown, the Basque language has survived for centuries despite attempts of other languages and cultures to replace it. Today, around 900,000 people speak Basque, and the language is being promoted through schools, websites, and institutions to help preserve Basque culture and identity.

Uploaded by

MORELIA
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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL ABIERTA Y A DISTANCIA – UNAD

Bachelor´s Degree in English as a Foreign Language

Course: LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

TASK3 - CULTURE AND TRANSLATION

TUTOR: MORELIA PULIDO

GROUP: 551036_3

Alexander García Camacho 91270101

Bucaramanga –Colombia

July-2022
Essay of the Basque Language

Basque or Euskera is an interesting language without linguistic roots it is spoken in the


Basque country in the north of Spain and the southwest of France, even more Basque
is the only pre-roman language until today as the linguist Luis Michelena stated: “The
real mystery in the history of the Basque language is not its origin, but its survival to the
present day.”

Basque first appeared in writing in Latin religious texts, in the 11th century , later at the
end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, it began improving due to the
Basque nationalism, then suffered a strong persecution during the Franco period (1936-
1977), after that it has started to make a comeback during the second half of the 20th
century, According to UNESCO, the Basque language is declared as ‘vulnerable’,
especially in Navarre, and ‘severely endangered’ in the Northern Basque region of
France.

The German linguist Theo Vennemann, a professor at the University of Munich, stated
"all languages have their origin somewhere, sometimes we do not know where. But in
the period, we are referring to here, Euskera came from nowhere else; it was already
there at the time other languages arrived. So considered, Euskera is the oldest
language in Europe. The rest are foreign languages coming from the East along with
powerful peoples that imposed their ways of speaking on native peoples. […] Euskera is
the only survivor of a European language family."

The Basque language has been in the middle of Spain and France; thus several
invaders have been in control of the language at times in their lands for centuries, this
special part of Europe has kept the Basque in decline but for extraordinary reasons still
able to survive and even better for the last decades a little and steady increase.

Despite all the struggling, it seems the Basque language will be somehow preserved,
the latest numbers give that of a population of three million, around 900,000 people
speak Basque. Although Basque is unique, it is still spoken today, as part of the Basque
society. Institutions, businesses, schools, homes, and the population speak it. A study
of 2017 shows that around 59.5% of the population speak Basque compared to 36.4%
of 2011 and Six out of ten Basque citizens will speak Basque by 2036, as for adult
education, around 4,500 people will become Basque speakers every year.

Currently Basque people choose Basque, but they are bilinguals Spanish or French
depending on which part of the Basque region they live. Today there are several
websites, academies and institutions teaching the Basque language and promoting the
identity of the region and their speaker's culture and values. the community, the Basque
Country is a proud and rich culture which keep its traditions alive on top of all outsiders'
influences. Finally, thanks to the local government the Basque Country, where Basques
live, encourage the use of the language, using websites where speakers can practice,
the local schools have the choice to learn the language to keep this extraordinary
culture alive.
References

F., M. (2022) Chapter 6: Language and Identity. En Introduction to Language and


Culture. (pp. 65–76). Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia. Recuperado de
https://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/39317

Michelena, L. and Rijk, . Rudolf P.G. de (2013, February 25). Basque language.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Basque-language

Basque language, the oldest language in Europe. Bizkaia Talent. (n.d.). Retrieved July
5, 2022, from https://www.bizkaiatalent.eus/en/pais-vasco-te-espera/senas-de-
identidad/euskera-antigua-europa/

Ager, S. (202AD, March 22). Basque (Euskara). Basque language and alphabet.
Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://omniglot.com/writing/basque.htm

Bitong, A. (2017, July 24). The mysterious origins of Europe's oldest language. BBC
Travel. Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170719-the-
mysterious-origins-of-europes-oldest-language

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