Artzibarko aldaera deitu izanaren inguruan (4 - Ipar-Artzibarko laginak: Arrieta) [On the so-called Arce variety (4 – material collected in Arrieta)]

Abstract

On this occasion, we are bringing to these pages data collected from an informant from Arrieta between 1981 and 1992 as a means of lending continuity to the work initiated in issues 103, 104 and 112 of this publication and taking the dialectal classification of Prince L. L. Bonaparte as a basis. The speech of this informant seemed fairly acceptable to us, although the use of the ergative, often incorrectly, and replacing plural flections of auxiliary verbs for those of the singular, among other things, were practically a constant. We barely noticed any possible outside influence in his Basque as we did, although to a small extent, with our collaborator from Hiriberri, Ambrosio Usoz. Although the data display indubitable scarcities as a result of the fast acceleration of the constant regression suffered by this speech since the beginning of the XX century, we did not, of course, collect them in order to forget them or make light of them, far from it. We have previously
commented that the doubts, hesitation and shortcomings revealed in the conservations are a direct consequence of having spent a long time without conversing in Basque. We cannot, therefore, but warmly thank all our good, patient, obliging friends for receiving us so well and for leaving testimony of such treasures to posterity.