Basque language

Basque is one of the few non-Indo-European languages spoken in Western Europe. Other non-Indo-European languages include Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Sami and Maltese.  It is an language isolate, that is, it has no known relatives anywhere in the world. This has led to a number of hypotheses about its origin.

The prevailing theory is that an early form of Basque was already spoken in southwestern Europe before the arrival of the proto-Indo-Europeans some 2,000 years ago. It is believed that the Basques already occupied their current territory long before the Celts and the Romans invaded their lands. Its culture dates back to the Paleolithic, making this language the oldest in Europe. The name Basque comes from the Latin vascones. Vasconia was the Roman name for the territory of the Western Pyrenees.

Today, Basque is spoken by 659,000 people in the Basque Country (Euskadi), an autonomous community in northern Spain, located between France and the autonomous community of Navarre.

Who speaks the Basque language?

Basque has the status of an official language in the Basque Country, where most Basque speakers also speak Spanish. It has no official status in the Basque-French country, where most people speak French.

Dialects of Basque

Several dialects of Basque are recognized:

  • Gipuzkoan
  • High Navare
  • Low Navare or Labortano
  • Roncalés
  • Biscayan
  • Suletin, spoken in France

All dialects are mutually intelligible, except Suletin. The most widely used standardized dialect is Batua ("unified" in Basque).

It is taught in most schools and used in the media. It is usually called standard Basque. Although regional varieties are sometimes preferred for oral communication, there is a strong desire to use the unified Batua standard.

Translation agency for Spanish-English-Basque

Now that you know a little more about the Basque language, you might be interested to know that we offer professional translation services from both English to Basque and from Basque into English. We specialise in translation from and into Spanish.

Have you ever thought about the potential customers you could reach if you had your WordPress in Basque? If you are planning your business strategy for this language, one of the most effective channels is video. If you regularly publish audiovisual content in English on YouTube or Vimeo, the incorporation of Basque Subtitles & Captioning is much easier than you think. Our translation company for the Basque language uses the latest technologies in computer-assisted translation to offer you the best quality and prices. If you need Basque Financial Translations or reliable Basque Legal Translators, please contact us and find out about our rates and conditions.