Arakil aldeko euskara

Abstract

The Basque language disappeared from Arakil as a result of the Spanish Civil War. In the midtwentieth century, none but the eldest members of some village communities spoke the language. After that period, there solely remained the testimonies that a few insolated individuals had to offer. Prince Bonaparte classified all the Basque spoken in the region as a sub-dialect from Oltza, part, in turn, of the Southern Upper-Navarrese dialect; all, that is, except the spoken language found in Irañeta and Murgindueta, which were assigned to the Uharte Arakil variety under the heading of the Northern Upper-Navarrese dialect. Despite its relatively late disappearance, very few texts written in this variety have come to light. It is for this very reason that these texts from Arruazu might prove of interest. Within Navarrese dialect, the language used can be considered a “border“ one, if we are to judge by the strong incidence of Guipuzcoan lexicon and verb forms.