Etxe > itxe aldaera Malerrekako eta Bortzirietako toponimia historikoaren argitan batik bat [Etxe > itxe variant in the light of the historical toponymy from Malerreka and Bortziriak primarily]

Abstract

Due to the research done in the field of toponymy up to the present day, it has been assumed that the evolution etxe > itxe in Basque language is a relatively recent phenomenon. Indeed, despite being a quite widespread occurrence geographically in its oral use, the testimonies obtained in the written documentation have been very scarce and hardly beyond the 18th century. For that reason it has been considered a rather contemporary phenomenon. However, the historical testimonies provided in this article demonstrate that, at least in the valleys of Malerreka and Bortziriak and to some extent in Baztan and Xareta, it is a much older and well-recorded fact, at least for the 16th century. The importance of the scanning and analysis of the rich documentation of the archives to continue advancing in the field of onomastics needs, therefore, to be emphasized.