Gaia_Lorraine
I Love Shoes
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2004
- Posts
- 13,186
The Basque language is the strangest.
EUSKARA, THE LANGUAGE OF THE BASQUE PEOPLE
The Basque language is an inflected language whose origin is still somewhat puzzling. The fact that it is not an Indoeuropean language, and shows no ressemblance to languages in neighbouring countries, has led to the formulation of a variety of hypotheses to explain its existence.
Situated in the South West corner of France and the North East corner of Spain in the Pyrenees mountains, the most likely explanation is that the language was born 'in situ' independently of all other Indoeuropean or African influence.
That theory is supported by the discovery of some Basque-type skulls in Neolithic sites, which ruled out the thesis of immigration from other areas. Many think it is a very old language because there are words, such as that for axe ("aizkora" or "haizkora") for example, that have the same root as the word rock ("aitz"> or "haitz")
Teach yourself Basque...
Here are some examples of Grammar usage and form:
a.'the child fell in the street'
umea kalean erori da
child-the street-in fall-asp is
b. 'the woman has seen the man'
emakumeak gizona ikusi du
woman-the-E man-the seen has
c. 'the man has given the book to the child'
gizonak umeari liburua eman dio
man-the-E child-the-D book-the given has.
Some Common Words and Phrases
(English = Euskara)
Yes = Bai
No = Ez
Thank you = Eskerrik asko
Thank you very much = Eskerrik asko
You're welcome = Ez horregatik
Please = Mesedez, Arren
Excuse me = Barkaidazu
Hello = Kaixo
Goodbye = Agur
So long = Gero arte
Good morning = Egun on
Good afternoon = Arratsalde on
Good evening = Arratsalde on
Good night = Gabon
I do not understand = Ez dut ulertzen
How do you say this in [English]? = Nola esaten da hau [euskaraz]?
Do you speak ... = Hitz egiten al duzu...?
English = ingelesez
French = frantzesez
German = alemanieraz
Spanish = gazteleraz
Chinese = txineraz
I = ni
We = gu
You (singular, familiar) = hi
You (singular, formal) = zu
You (plural) = zuek
They = haiek
What is your name? = Zein da zure izena?
Nice to meet you. = Pozten nau zu ezagutzeak
How are you? = Zer moduz zaude?
Good = Ongi
Bad = Gaizki
So so = Erdipurdi
Wife = Emazte
Husband = Senar
Daughter = Alaba
Son = Seme
Mother = Ama
Father = Aita
Friend = Lagun
Where is the bathroom? -or- Where is the toilet? = Non dago komuna?
