Artzibarko aldaera deitu izanaren inguruan (1 - sarrera eta lehen galdera-sortak) [Regarding the so-called Valley of Arce variety (1 – introduction and first questions]

Abstract

This article gives the results of a set of surveys carried out between 1984 and 1992 with an informant from Arrieta (Valley of Arce) and one from Ilurdotz (Valley of Esteribar), taking as a basis those which José Estornés Lasa published in 1982 in order to research the Roncal dialect in this same journal and keeping in mind, at all times, Prince Bonaparte’s classification. The speeches of the two informants –the one from Ilurdotz, perhaps, to a greater extent– were fairly impoverished as a result of having spent many, many years without practising the language, as can be seen through the large number of doubts, hesitations and shortfalls. These forms of speech could not, therefore, be compared with those used by their parents, between the XIX and XX centuries, although even so, given the current situation of the Basque language in these valleys, we believe their testimonies to be of great interest.