The Basque language, unusual because it is not part of the Indo-Euroepan family, must be understood by anyone who wants to comprehend the Basques and their culture. This guide is the first practical introduction to the language available for the English-speaking audience.

Basque is the sole survivor of the very ancient languages of Western Europe. This book, written by an internationally renowned specialist in Basque, provides a comprehensive survey of all that is known about the prehistory of the language, including pronunciation, the grammar and the vocabulary. It also provides a long critical evaluation of the search for its relatives, as well as a thumbnail sketch of the language, a summary of its typological features, an external history and an extensive bibliography.

Colloquial Basque Specially written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Basque. No prior knowledge of the language is required. What makes Colloquial Basque your best choice in personal language learning? * interactive - lots of exercises for regular practice * clear - concise grammar notes * practical - useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide * complete - including answer key and special reference section. This pack contains the paperback and audio material recorded on CDs. By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in a broad range of situations. These compliment the book and will help you with your pronunciation and listening skills. For the eBook and MP3 pack, please find instructions on how to access the supplementary content for this title in the Prelims section.

The Basques are Europe's oldest people, their origins a mystery, their language related to no other on Earth, and even though few in population and from a remote and rugged corner of Spain and France, they have had a profound impact on the world. Whilst inward-looking, preserving their ancient language and customs, the Basques also struck out for new horizons, pioneers of whaling and cod fishing, leading the way in exploration of the Americas and Asia, were among the first capitalists and later led Southern Europe's industrial revolution. Mark Kurlansky, the author of the acclaimed Cod, blends human stories with economic, political, literary and culinary history to paint a fascinating picture of an intriguing people.

The Basque language, Euskara, is one of Europe’s most ancient tongues and a vital part of today’s lively Basque culture. Reclaiming Basque examines the ideology, methods, and discourse of the Basque-language revitalization movement over the course of the past century and the way this effort has unfolded alongside the simultaneous Basque nationalist struggle for autonomy. Jacqueline Urla employs extensive long-term fieldwork, interviews, and close examination of a vast range of documents in several media to uncover the strategies that have been used to preserve and revive Euskara and the various controversies that have arisen among Basque-language advocates.

Edo Nyland shares with us his research on the evolution of European and other languages and his conclusions offer fresh perspectives to challenge traditional views entertained by the linguistic establishment. Nyland's research was inspired by a CBC presentation by historian Edward Furlong who suggested that Odysseus may not at all have been travelling in the Mediterranean but rather in Scotland and Ireland where the climate and topography fit far better the descriptions in the Odyssey. Nyland set off on an odyssey of his own, visiting the proposed locations and while he found much to support Furlong's thesis he felt more evidence was needed to confirm it. He began by examining place names mentioned in the Odyssey and he began to wonder if they might be telling a story. But from what language were they derived? Greek, Latin and Gaelic dictionaries were no help. He discovered a clue in the work of geneticist Luigi Cavalli-Sforza who had suggested that there might have been early migrations of the peoples living along the Atlantic coast, from Morocco to Scotland and Ireland, even Arctic Norway. Of these only the Basques still spoke their original Neolithic language, and in choosing a Basque dictionary to translate coastal place names Nyland found that they did indeed yield remarkably fitting descriptions. In visiting Bronze Age ruins Nyland came on the Ogam inscriptions carved into standing stones of Ireland. These had not been deciphered but Nyland began to suspect they might encode elements of the Basque language. Cracking the code became his mission and in this volume he describes how he did it. After applying his method successfully to such languages as Spanish or German, Sanskrit or Sumerian, Nyland concludes that Basque isthe core language from which so many more were derived.