Basque Origins | DNA, Language, and History
1,933,287
Published 2021-04-17
In this diverse and fertile region, the Basque have retained their unique non-Indo-European language and dialects, Euskara, as well as their own cultural and regional identities. As the surrounding populations of Europe have shifted over the ages again and again, the Basque people remain.
Known today by its inhabitants as Euskadi, País Vasco, or Euskal Herria, the Basque Country has become a region famous for its cuisine and wine of ancient grapes such as Tempranillo, of traditional fishing villages and picturesque cities. Tourism has replaced much of history’s strife. But defining Euskal Herria is as difficult as defining the word Herria itself. In Euskara its root herri can mean everything from village to population to nation. Euskal Herria is the collective identity of this ancient people.
Basque Country has historically comprised of settlements located along the western edge of the Pyrenees, currently organized in seven provinces: Gipuzkoa; Bizkaia; Araba; and Nafarroa on the southern side of the Pyrenees and Zuberoa; Lapurdi; and Nafarroa Beherea on the northern side. Euskara has five main dialects, a non-Indo-European language isolate with no close relationship to any other extant language. Overall, Euskara is spoken by nearly thirty percent, or three-quarters of a million Basques. The vast majority are in the Spanish region. Only seven percent are in the French portion. The French dialects are Navarrese– Lapurdian and Souletin, and the Spanish dialects are Upper Navarrese, Biscayan, and Gipuzkoan. These dialects are sometimes mutually incomprehensible, especially in the case of Souletin. Studies suggest that these dialects branched from a unified Basque language sometime during the Middle Ages and developed according to geographical, cultural, political, and administrative reasons. Although structurally unlike any Indo European language, the official Euskara Batua today contains many loan words from Romance languages --up to 40% of its vocabulary, and a modified Latin script.
The mystery of Euskara’s long linguistic isolation has led to many theories of its origins and possible related languages. Most of these hypotheses are very tenuous, such as Basque-Iberic comparisons based on fragments of extinct variations of Vasconic, Auquitanian, and Iberian tongues, or they are based on coincidence and pseudoscientific speculation, ranging from the popular assertion that the Basques are descended from Old Testament patriarchs to the folk beliefs that Basques are related to the distant Kartvelian populations of Caucasus Georgia to a slightly more plausible relation to the ancient Chechen language, neighbors of the Georgians whose language structure appears closer to Euskara. These models of Dené-Caucasian language families might mean that the Basque and their ancestors originated from the Caucasus. But only the latest genetic studies of modern Basque samples have reached clear conclusions.
Video Attribution:
Miguel Angel Zález
Dolmen de Arrizala o Sorginetxe (Agurain-Salvatierra). Álava..mp4
• Dolmen de Arrizala o Sorginetxe (Agur...
Senda Mágica
Dolmen Sorginetxe. Alineación astronómica.
• Dolmen Sorginetxe. Alineación astronó...
AUDREY JACOB
Stèles basques musée basque bayonne
• Stèles basques musée basque bayonne
Ollie Bye
The History of Iberia Every Year.
• The History of Iberia: Every Year
Links:
Estimating the Impact of Prehistoric Admixture on the Genome of Europeans
Genetic origins, singularity, and heterogeneity of Basques
The Expanded mtDNA Phylogeny of the Franco-Cantabrian Region Upholds the Pre-Neolithic Genetic Substrate of Basques
Rome in the Construction of Basque Identity: Archaeological Arguments
Ancient genomes link early farmers from Atapuerca in Spain to modern-day Basques
A bunch of wikipedia pages with artwork and background:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_language
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_(greater_regi…)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquitani
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vascones
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_prehistory
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novempopulania
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_Basques
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_nationalism
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_dialects
All Comments (21)
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In an old Basque grammar book that I own there is a legend that says that the devil lived for 200 years in the Basque country, and had to leave because after all that time spent there, he still didn't know how to say yes or no in Basque.
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My uncle, Aniceto Sagastizabal, born in Elorrio in 1940 and using the name 'Gasti', had a successful career as a professional player of the Basque sport Cesta Punta (known as Jai Alai in the U.S.) from the mid-1950s thru the early 1980s in Spain, Italy, Mexico and the United States. He was a 'giant' of a man, yet as gentile and kind as a person could be. I still have one of his cestas and a pelota that he played with at a fronton in Orlando, FL.
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Some historians and anthropologists theorize that if a people can adapt to mountain living they stand a chance of keeping thier culture and language alive while the rest of the land around them is swamped by others. All the languages of Europe are related to Sanscrit - the Indo-European languages, except four: Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian..and Basque. The previous three are Turko-mongol,or Ural Altaic languages. Basque had linguists scratching their heads for generations. The presently leading theory is that it's an ancient, Neolithic,pre-indo-european language. It's fascinating to contemplate. .
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God bless and protect the Basque people. Good to see people endure with their unique language and culture through the ages.
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Greetings from the Basque Country, good job.
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Was in the region back in 2000, just a lovely place. No wonder they defended it so fiercely. Was told by a Basque gentleman that they do not sell their land to non-Basque, and heaven help anyone that tries to. I wish them luck in preserving their language, culture and land.
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My 2nd great-grandmother was Basque origin and she married my great-grandfather Westaway who was from Torquay, Devonshire, England. Their son, who was my great-grandfather, William H. Westaway immigrated to the U.S. and married Sophia Hutson. Many of the females in my family, including my mother, inherited the rare RH negative blood type that can be mostly found in Basque region. My recent DNA test did reflect my Basque, Portuguese & Spanish heritage as well as some other countries throughout Europe.
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I was in Basque country many years ago, hiking through the Pyrenees. Such a beautiful place, and very handsome people. And the food was wonderful.
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Old proverb: if you keep your language, you have the key that will set you free.
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Basque culture is extremely interesting. You should do a video about the Saami of Northern Europe next. We are another indigenous European culture that unfortunately has had to deal with a lot of cultural genocide. We have been instrumental in fighting the Nazis in the far north, and standing up for ecological protections in the arctic. I think it is important to raise awareness of us and other indigenous groups, so that our cultures are more remembered and respected.
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My father's side of the family is Spanish Basque (I'm 1/4 Basque), and I am so excited to find this! What a rich culture we got to share in, even here in the States. There's a whole Basque community in Winnemucca Nevada, where my family first settled, when my Great Grandma immigrated, at 17 years old, all on her own. Can't wait to jump in to the video! Thanks again! Love, to all, from Texas! ✌🤠💕
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Last year, an Iron Age hand shaped metal ornament was found in a Roman era archaeological site in Navarre. The ornament, nicknamed "The Hand of Irulegi", is believed to be a token of good luck, and contains an inscription in ancient Iberian runes, but the words don't seem Iberian. The first word, SORIONEKU, resembles a lot the modern Basque word "zorioneko" = "of good fortune". This has become the oldest known written word in Basque, dating back to the 1st century BC, and would confirm that the Basque language and people were already well established when the Romans arrived at the edge of the Pyrenees mountains. It was a very emotional discovery for all of us, the confirmation that this has been our ancestral land for millenia. Milaka esker Euskal Herritik guri buruzko bideo puxka honengatik!
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My great great grandmother was a Spanish Basque, all the females descended from her have the ABneg blood group, including myself & both my daughters, however my grandsons do not have the AB neg group. Ive always known of my Basque heritage & im extremely proud of it, i was born & raised in the far north of England in Northumberland & my Basque gg grandma was brought to my county in 1850 when as a nanny to a doctor from my city had a practise in Bayonne & Isabella came to work for him & his children but all we know is she was from the mountains. She became part of their family & so went with them back to UK & my county. Isabella was firey & very independant & just 4ft 11ins with hair to her calves She met & married my gggrandfather who owned hotels & restaurants in Newcastle upon Tyne city & she bore him 9 children. Im over the moon with this video & have learned much about the land of my ancestors. Thank you thank you
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Well done the Basques keep your language and culture and your people will survive.
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as a basque and euskara speaking dude it makes me so happy to see this kind of content on yt
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To loose your language is to loose your culture. Basque country is striking, that they have held on to it through their language is remarkable.
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Greetings from Caucasus, Chechnya& Georgia/ Saqartvelo!!!
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When I went to art school, a fellow student was, like me, of French Canadian descent. Another friend more knowledgeable about the Basques than I told me that although, the fellow student's background was French, hls name was Basque. It was then that I learned that many Basques like my ancestors from northern France migrated to French Canada. I also learned that the Basques are fairer in color than most of their French and Spanish neighbors and blue and grey- eyedness is common among them. Their unique language with ties to no living language is slowly dying on the French side of the Pyrenees but is quite vigorous on the Spanish side. No doubt, the French insistance that EVERYBODY speaks French is causing all the other languages in the country to fade. Breton in Brittany, Dutch in Flanders, German in Alscace-Lorraine, Italian in the Alps, Nice and on Corsica, Catalan in Rousilon, Basque in the Basque country, and Occitan through out southern France are all slowly dying. So why is Basque, along with Catalan and Galego, flourishing? My guess is that Spain's allowing for some regional decentralization as opposed to French centralization with Paris running the country, has much to do with it. A Bien Tot, Richard
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Just recently I found out I’m 4% basque even though that’s a low percentage the fact that it’s there says a lot about my ancestry. And now that I know I feel proud and more attached to the basque side of me more than ever so learning whatever I can and it’s language, is a big help thank you for this amazing video ! 🙌🏻
