Basque Language

Basque is the native language of the Basque country, nowadays part of Spain and France. This language, Euskara in Basque, is a mystery, because no one knows how it originated. Even though it is surrounded by regions that speak Romance languages, Basque isn't of Latin origin; in fact, it isn't part of the Indo-European language family, unlike most languages spoken in Europe (such as Romance and Germanic languages). Because of its uniqueness, linguists believe Basque is older than Indo-European languages, making it one of the oldest languages in Europe.

A number of theories attempt to explain the origins of Basque, but none of them are conclusive. Historians agree that Basque is a pre-Indo-European language. Linguists and philologists from the 19th and 20th century, including Louis Lucien Bonaparte and Julio Caro Baroja, have proposed that Basque dates back to the Stone Age. They suggest that the words for "knife" (aizto), "axe" (aizkora), "hoe" (aitzur), and other instruments, derive from the word aitz (stone), concluding that the language originated during the Stone Age. Nevertheless, nowadays this theory is disregarded; the word aizkora, for example, is believed to have come from the Latin asciola.

Other theories suggest that Basque was a member of a larger language family that became extinct as the Roman Empire expanded to the Iberian peninsula and modern-day Southern France. Or that Basque has a Caucasian origin, since they have some common similarities. Basque grammar is especially similar to Georgian grammar. 

In 1978, Basque was declared the co-official language (together with Spanish) of Basque Country, after Franco prohibited it from being used in the public sphere during his dictatorship. Today, less than half of the Basque Country population speaks Basque, but the number of media outlets in Basque has been increasing. If you are curious about what Basque sounds like, these are a few basic phrases:

Hello - Kaixo 

Good morning - Egun on

Good afternoon - Arratsalde on

Good night - Gabon

How are you? - Zer moduz?

I'm fine, thank you - Ondo, eskerrik asko

Do you speak Basque? - Euskaraz badakizu?

Yes - Bai

No - Ez

Nice to meet you - Pozten naiz zu ezagutzeaz

Thank you - Eskerrik asko

Welcome - Ongi etorri

Excuse me - Barkatu