As a response to the WSJ article
Keith Johnson delako batek idatzi duen euskararen inguruko artikulua irakurrita, ezin eutsi eta erantzun bat idatzi behar izan diot. E-mailera bidaltzeko asmoa daukat, baina hori baino lehen hemen zintzilikatuko dut. Norbaitek hutsaren bat topatzekotan, mesedez, jakinarazi.
Ziurrenik ez du ezertarako balioko, baina ni lasaiago gelditu naiz.
Dear Mr. Johnson
I am writing this e-mail as a response to the impression that your article about the Basque language (WSJ, Basque Inquisition: How Do You Say Shepherd in Euskera? November 6, 2007) has made on me. As, from my point of view, your article is full of mistakes, falsehoods and bias, I will try to shed some more light on this topic.
You open your article with a polemic issue: the need to learn Basque language on the part of teachers. As you know, Basque is a co-official language (together with Spanish) in the three provinces of the Basque Autonomous Community. Co-official means that I, as a citizen of the BAC, have the right to be taught in Basque if I want (or my parents want). As the demand for education in Basque has dramatically increased in the last decades, so has the need for Basque-speaking teachers. It is the duty of the government to guarantee this basic right (anchored in the Spanish Constitution and in the Basque Statute).
As for the teachers forced to learn Basque to teach in that language, I can assure you it is not a tragedy for most of the them. They can have two, three or more years off, at their full wages, just to be a student again. After that they know one more language, which is always enriching, and they are probably opener to learn a third one.
You have also mentioned other public services like health service, police or postal system. Though I have the right to be attended in Basque by these public workers it will be difficult to find somebody to answer me in that language, specially in towns like Bilbao or Vitoria (which by the way is the second largest town in the Basque Country). Changes in these fields are clearly slow, and saying that we have no specialists because we demand Basque is false and a total insult to our intelligence.
Deep down, when people complain about the need for Basque-speaking public workers, they are calling into question the co-officiality of the Basque language. They are probably not against Basque, but they would be happier if it only were spoken among shepherds or inside one’s home.
Here we have Leopoldo Barreda’s words: “Euskera just isn't used in real life”. Rather than “in real life” it should be understood as “in my life”. I invite you, Mr. Johnson, to visit “my real life” and see if Basque is used or not. I don’t understand why you have espoused Mr. Barreda’s opinion and not that of a Basque-speaking person. Mr. Barreda does not know Basque and consequently he does not use or feel Basque in his life. When a Basque-speaking person is with a not-speaking one, we have no problem in using Spanish. Unfortunately, this leads to an invisibility of the Basque language for many monolingual Spanish speakers.
The funniest part of your article is the one about etymology. You remark that Basque language is full of neologisms. You mention “democracy”. Do you think democracy is a truly original English word? I thought it was ancient Greek. So in Spanish (democracia), French (démocratie) or Basque (demokrazia) we just use the same Greek root for the same word. You also mention “airport”. I guess in English or Spanish they did not have many airports in the 19th century. So I suppose they had to make it up and look for some common roots. We say “aireportua”. Is it that so strange? I could go on and on with the rest or the terms you have mentioned but I hope you have got the point.
I completed my whole education in Basque language (including further education) but maybe you are sharper than me, so if you have found a textbook in which the fact that “Euskal Herria was colonized by the Spanish State” is mentioned, I ask you please to show it to me. This is a common fallacy used by Spanish nationalist, but it is just not true.
Probably the most insulting part of your article is when you compare violence and language. By suggesting that wielding guns is the same as wielding (Basque) grammar you are insulting me and many others who are against violence and actually think that violence is a considerable deterrent for the acceptance of Basque in other fields.
I would like to end this letter inviting you to have a look at the doctoral theses that are written in the Basque language every year, to listen to some electronic music sung in Basque or have a surf through the flourishing Basque blog community. Hopefully, you will not dare again to say that Basque is not a language for modern times.
Yours sincerely
Katixa Agirre
Iruzkinak
Lander 2007-11-07 12:17 #1
Zorionak zure gutunagatik. oso zuzena eta argi idatzia.<br />
Ion Olano 2007-11-07 12:57 #2
Ídem.
Patxi 2007-11-07 13:13 #3
Asmo onez dabilen norbaiti zuzendutako gutuna da, baina apustu egingo nuke gizaseme hau ez dabilela asmo onez, baizik eta ondo kalkulatutako intentzio maltzurrez. <br /><br />
Julen 2007-11-07 13:39 #4
Eskerrik asko, Kat.<br />Neuk ere sinatuko nuke gutun hori gustura.<br />
ados 2007-11-07 14:10 #5
<p>haserretu egiten gara eta uste dut euliak bezala tratatzen gaituzten behi erraldoiak direla.</p>
<p>gutaz kaka argitaratu dezakete eta ez dakit ezentzunarena egitea ez litzateken hobea.</p>
<p>hala ere, ulertzen dut zure amorrua eta horregatik bidali diot neuk ere gutun bat alu horri. nik uste maltzurkeria dagoela atzean, beraz azalpenak ematen gehiegi nekatzerik ez du merezi. popatik !</p>
<p>;-)</p>
<p>joseba</p>
Joxe Aranzabal 2007-11-07 15:07 #6
Eskerrik asko, Katixa. Neuk ere sinatzen dut zure erantzuna. Well done.<br />
Beñat 2007-11-07 16:53 #7
<p>Oso erantzun ona, nik ere sinatuko nuke. hala ere asmo txarrez dabilenari ez dio asko eragingo.</p>
ibai 2007-11-07 16:56 #8
Bikain Katixa. Zoritxarrez, Patxitraperok bezala nik ere uste dut asmo txarrez idazten duela "kazetari" horrek, beraz ez dakit ezertarako balioko duen guk mezuak bidaltzea...<br />
urbinaga 2007-11-07 17:58 #9
hala bedi
Naiara 2007-11-07 21:36 #10
Bikaina. Nahiz eta agian ezer ez lortu, guk ere lasaiago geratzen gara zure gutunarekin.<br /><br />Janire eta Naiara<br />
Txopi 2007-11-07 21:37 #11
Erantzun bikaina!<br /><br />Kazetariak artikulu hau nahi gabe idatzi duela diotenei horrela izan ez dela <a href="http://www.zabaldu.com/2842/wall_street_journalek_euskara_iraintzen_du/#wholecomment1611">frogak</a> daudela argitu nahi diet.
patxi lurra 2007-11-07 22:24 #12
<p><em>Probably the most insulting part of your article is when you compare violence and language.</em> </p>
<p>Eskerrak zeure blog kriminalaren link-a ez deutsazun bidali tipo horreri, bestela siestarik gabeko indarkeriaren aldeko aldarria ikus zezakeen eta bere teoria konfirmau...</p>
<p>Bestela, geuk gaueko albisteetan eduki dogu artikulu horren barri, eta komentau dogu AEBetan euskal komunitate handi, aktibo eta indartsu dagoala (zorionez), eta berehala Zulaika eta konpainiak erantzun ona emongo deutsiela Mr.Johnsoneri, fijo. </p>
<p>PD Zeurea be, erantzun onnnnnnna!</p>
Xavier 2007-11-08 01:20 #13
Katixa, desde Galiza quiero decirte que te felicito por tu carta y por el respeto y la atención con que la has escrito. Lamento inclinarme por pensar que difícilmente podrá ser entendida por alguien que da muestras no de no entender, sino de no querer entender, que es bien diferente. Parece que siempre habrá gente así, como Keith Johnson, pero no es menos cierto que también siempre habrá gente como tú, y eso me consuela y anima.
Muchas felicidades a las vascas y los vascos por mantener en pie una lengua que ha resistido frente a tantas dificultades y que comparte con mi lengua (el Gallego-Portugués) este pequeño planeta.
Con gente como contigo, como muchas y muchos de vosotros, da gusto compartir este hermoso hogar.
Um abraço forte.
Besarkada handi bat.
Rhys Wynne 2007-11-08 17:00 #14
Kaixo Katixa,<br /><br />Excellent post, I shall be using your arguments in future when similar false claims are made against my language (Cymraeg)<br />
josu 2007-11-08 18:36 #15
Bikain, Katixa, hemendik agertzen zarenean bazkaria ordainduko dizut.<br />
le buey 2007-11-08 22:36 #16
<p><em>harro nago zu bezalako gizakiaz!!!!</em></p>
<p><em>eutsi gogor!!!. gaur obeto lo egingo dut.</em></p>
MariJoxe 2007-11-08 23:35 #17
Londonen bizi naiz eta nik zurekin bat egin nahi dut ere. Johnson jaunak idatzitakoak, egia esan, ez du ez hanka ez burururik ez bada euskara eta bide batez euskaldunak (euskara-hiztunak eta euskaltzaleak) zapaltzeko hurrengo atala. Ez nuke esango, Londonen oinarrituta batipat, munduan zehar gutxiengo batek, milio bat hiztun duen hizkuntza batek, halako eragin anker eta zanpantzailerik eragiteko iaiotasunik eduki lezakeenik... baina hala ote! Erantzun zuzena idatzi duzu Katixa.
Eugenio 2007-11-09 10:39 #18
<p>Eskerrik asko Katixa idatzi duzun erantzunagatik. Axola ez bazaizu kopiatuko dut eta nire izenean ere bidaliko diot, puntuz puntu ados nagoelako erabili dituzun argudio guztiekin eta gainera nik ez nuke hain ondo idatziko. (Dena den, laguntza eskatu duzunez, 7. paragrafoan "neologism" idatzi duzu nire ustez plurala behar denean, eta paragrafo berean "at the XIX century" dagoenean nik "in" preposizioa erabiliko nuke.</p>
<p>Ez dakit bidaltzeak askorako balioko duen baina lasaiago geldituko naiz. Eskerrik asko. </p>
<p>Eugenio.</p>
espein 2007-11-09 12:41 #19
<p>Unfortunately I cannot get to your opinion cause I cannot understand vascuence, and I really regret I can´t for I truly wish I could as a means of understanding your thoughts, feelings or ideas of yours.</p>
<p>My opinion is that Keith Johnson is an expert in linguistics a free of any bias on The BAsque Country identity or whatever you demand. He writes what he considers right, that´s all, and me a nd thousands of people share the same. Another question is if you like his opinio or not.</p>
<p>Freedom in The Basque Country simply does not exist, either in language or in real life, so what´s the point in not accepting the real situation?? Beware of those who hide behind language protection or nationalist identity, that is not invented by you, but some years ago... and it begins with an "n" as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Emea 2007-11-09 13:04 #20
Espein, I see you don't know nothing about the situation of the Basque Country. Silence is better in your case. I think is arrogant to say to a native person "you don't accept the situation". You're, sure, thousands of kilometres far from the Basque Country, so I wan't to advise you: come here, see, and then speak. Thank you<br />
Goñiko J. 2007-11-09 18:45 #21
<p>WSJ, Keith Johnson, Espein, Aznar, e.a. luze bat, nagusi beretik jasotzen dute soldata, nire uste apalean, eta zer espero?</p>
<p>Aupa Katixa ta loratu gure euskara!</p>
Ane 2007-11-09 22:16 #22
<p>Milesker Katixa!</p>
<p>Eskerrak askok pentsatzen duguna norbait ongi idazteko gai den. Segi euskara zabaltzen saretik eta literaturatik! </p>
<p> </p>
derzu 2007-11-10 00:16 #23
irakurri ditudan erantzun guztietatik, zurea onena. zorionak!
monika 2007-11-10 14:56 #24
<p>To Espein,</p>
<p>I wonder who is really not putting into practice that paradigm of acceptance that you mention...</p>
D. Fear 2007-11-12 17:19 #25
Sorry to be writing this in English, but I know no Basque or Spanish. :( Oh well.
The answer is very good, and I hope it will be noticed. A Basque acquaintance of mine sent it to me, asking me to correct the English. There is not much to correct, but I will do so if you, the author, wish me to.
As to Mr Johnson being an expert in linguistics, as one correspondent has written, I doubt this rather. I may be wrong, but what he wrote smacks of popular journalism and not of science (I am a trained linguist; perhaps I know!).
I have reasonable hopes that the Basque language will survive, as there is a reasonably large population of speakers. However, I am afraid that bilingualism in the current form is here to stay - that is, all Basque speakers in Spain will have to know Spanish, and not vice-versa. (Okay, the Basque country is not all of Spain, I know.) Still, the situation seems better to me than in the cases of many minority languages - and some majority ones too.
Look at the case of Irish Gaelic - the greater number of speakers know it only as a second language; native speakers are becoming fewer with time.
Anyhow, keep up the good work, and let us hope that Mr Johnson will notice his errors and not repeat them in future.
katixa 2007-11-13 20:43 #26
Eskerrik asko guztiei zuen erantzunengatik. Eskerrak baita ere proposatu dizkidazuen zuzenketengatik. Idatzi hau hemen geratuko da, baina guk aurrera egingo dugu.<br />Muxu bana<br /><br />Thanks all for the kind messages. And special thanks for those who have corrected my English (Eugenio and D. Fear). KJ's article as well as all the responses will remain on the net. We will keep on walking.<br />
Uxue 2007-11-14 10:30 #27
Eskerrik asko, Katixa, gure sentimentuak askoren betaurrekoetara hurbiltzeagatik. <br />
Quique 2007-11-14 12:56 #28
Me guardo la página en favoritos y a cada persona que me venga con lo de que no entiende porqué se tiene que aprender catalán para trabajar en Catalunya como juez, médico... pam! se lo reenvío y tema zanjado!<br />Enhorabuena por una exposición clara de como son las cosas y como "nos las cuentan" algunos. Muy bueno lo de "democracy"...<br />Eskerrik asko! <br />Records des de Barcelona!<br />
erauso 2007-11-14 18:19 #29
Berria meneame-ra ere ailegatu da, eta norbaitek gaztelerara itzuli egin du Katixaren erantzuna. Dagoeneko jaso ditu boto negatiboak.<br />http://meneame.net/story/as-response-to-the-wall-street-journal-article<br />
Lander 2007-11-15 15:19 #30
<p>Oso Ona</p>
<p>Mila esker erantzun ain argiagaitik. neuk ere sinatuko nuke.</p>
asel 2007-11-16 17:29 #31
Ederra erantzuna! Argia eta, jatorrizko "artikulua" (zeozelan daitzearren) ez bezala, errespetuz eta dotore idatzia. Euskaldun legez, eskerrik asko.<br />
JL 2007-11-23 18:08 #32
Dear Katixa,<br /><br />sorry, I have missed most of the discussion (to which I was directed from the EUROLANG newsletter), as I don't understand Basque or Spanish. However, in one of the English-language postings above there was a statement which calls for reaction:<br /><br />"My opinion is that Keith Johnson is an expert in linguistics a free of any bias..."<br /><br />What Keith Johnson states about Basque is, as you already noticed, illogical -- borrowing words for concepts such as "democracy" or "airport" (or borrowing words in general) is widespread and has nothing to do with the viability or usefulness of a language. He also repeats factoids and mythologems related to the "Great Eskimo Words for Snow Hoax" (title of a book by the linguist Geoffrey Pullum, warmly recommended!) -- how many words language X has for concept Y is of very little linguistic interest, as anybody better versed in linguistics knows.<br /><br />Last but not least, the fact that Basque is not related to Indo-European is completely irrelevant. The fact that the basic vocabulary and grammar are different means that learning Basque as a second language is a little more strenuous than learning another IE language; this should, of course, be taken into account when planning and evaluating language teaching programmes and facilities for the Spanish-speaking population. But these challenges in TBSOL have nothing to do with the viability of Basque (or Finnish, or Hungarian, or Estonian...) as a native language of today’s urban and civilized Europeans.<br /><br />Keith Johnson may be an expert in many matters, but certainly not in the study of language. In fact, so many problems of minority languages boil down to the problem that so many people are so misinformed about linguistics...<br /><br />Best<br />Johanna Laakso<br />professor of Finno-Ugric languages, Vienna<br />
Grijix 2007-11-23 23:25 #33
Zurekin be . . . .
iraitz 2007-11-25 17:48 #34
<p>zorionak katixa, bai horixe!</p>
Itxaso 2007-11-30 02:24 #35
Aupa Katixa! Benetan artikulu ona! Bikaina, EXCELLENT! Linguistika ikasten ari naiz Inglaterran eta Mr. Johnson dalako horrek idatzitako artikulua irakurri ondoren benetan zerbait argi geratu zait. Nire linguistikako jakintzak, (asko ez badira ere) berarenak baino zabalagoak direla. Benetan pena sentitu beharko luke hainbeste ikasketa hain fruitu gutxirako, hizkuntzalari batek hizkuntzak maitatzen baititu. Espero dut halako emailak eragina izatea bere pentsakeran, baina bere INBOX delako horretan ez gera dadila, zure bezalako artikuluak munduko egunkari guztietan egon beharko lirateke! ZORIXONAK! Eta milesker, Euskal hizkuntza, herria eta gu geu defendatzeagatik. Zurekin bat! ;)
JM 2007-12-23 13:51 #36
Biba tu!<br>(barkatu neologismoak)<br><br>
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