"Classic book on the Basques of Iparralde (French Basque Country) originally published in 1942, treating Basque history and culture in the region"--Provided by publisher.

Classic book on the Basques of Iparralde (French Basque Country) originally published in 1942, treating Basque history and culture in the region

The origins of Basque dialects, a highly disputed area of research in Basque studies, are examined. The author, the foremost expert on Basque dialects, traces their emergence to medieval times, using: a) the profusion of features common to all dialects: b) the large number of innovations common to all dialects; and c) the fact that the only truly divergent dialects are the western and Souletin ones. In contrast, the three central dialects differ in far fewer and less important respects. The main contribution of Standard Basque and Its Dialects to the scholarly debate about the formation of Basque is that it identifies the nuclei from which the current dialects almost certainly emerged. The book explains the points of view that Basque speakers have upheld concerning their dialects, the formation of provincial standards starting in the eighteenth century, and the launch of Standard Basque in the second half of the twentieth century.

To the outside world, for some half a century, the words ‘Basque Country’ have provoked an almost instant association with the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA, Basque Homeland and Liberty) separatist group and violent conflict. The Basque Contention: Ethnicity, Politics, Violence attempts to undo this simplistic correlation and, for the first time, provide a definitive history of the wider political issues at the heart of the Basque Country. Drawing on three decades of research on Basque nationalism, Ludger Mees weaves together the various historical and contemporary strands of this contention: from the late medieval kingdoms of Spain and France and the first articulations of a Basque ethno-particularism, to the dissolution of ETA in 2018, and all manner of dictatorships, conflict, peace, civil war, political intrigue, hope and failure in-between. For anyone who has ever wanted to gain an insight into the Basque Country beyond the headlines of ETA and grasp the complexity of its relationship with Spain, France and indeed itself, this volume provides a detailed, yet digestible, basis for such an understanding.

Ramón Zallo offers us with this informative book an overall synthesis of Basque culture, society and history. Thanks to its contents it may be destined to become a road map for understanding some keys about the country of the Basques. The author starts from a broad concept of Basque culture which, while it is not very well known, is proportionally very rich for such a small country. He conceives it as a whole culture and as having a history of its own, although it is very closely related to its surroundings. And its trajectory indicates the need to prioritize its development and singularity in this global world full of uncertainty. In Part One he traces (and vindicates) the cultural and spatial idea of Euskal Herria, and briefly describes its history, society and characteristics, its economic evolution and the political systems of Euskadi, Navarra and Iparralde. He presents a society with deeply-rooted values and a very dense civil society that now needs to review, without amnesia, the tragedies and disappointments of recent years. In Part Two he offers a new vision of each one of the various branches of culture. Giving Euskara the attention that it deserves as the most specific defining trait, the book offers an added dimension through an updated look at the styles, works and names within architecture, the visual, theatre and musical arts, Basque literature in Euskara and Spanish and the different types of heritage.It ends with a gallery of historical and contemporary figures that demonstrate the country’s diversity. Its method is descriptive, orderly and not overly interpretative. Interpretation is left to the reader.

This publication considers the charter for Regional or Minority Languages from a legal perspective. It illustrates the charter ratification process in individual states, presents implementation case studies for some states parties, assesses the influence of this instrument on domestic law and the legal implications of non-compliance. Some papers also explore more general issues surrounding the charter, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a broad interpretation of the undertakings of states parties and looking at the challenge of adapting this instrument to a changing society.

A thorough introduction is followed by texts from numerous authors presenting arguments on the excellence or inferiority of the Basque language. "From the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries... a number of Spanish and French authors made it their business to point out the barbarity and lack of literary development of the Basque language... On the other hand, the Basque apologists sought to legitimize the [language and foral system] through the creation of a construct, more or less mythical in essence, which with great frequency relied on the excellence of the Basque language for its justification... This anthology attempts to present the most important works of this secular polemic."