Basque-Icelandic pidgin
Encyclopedia
The Basque-Icelandic pidgin was a pidgin
spoken in Iceland
in the 17th century. It developed due to the contact that Basque
trade
rs had with the Icelandic locals, probably in Vestfirðir. The vocabulary was heavily based upon the Labourdin Basque language
, but also upon an Atlantic pidgin with Romance and English influences.
It is documented in two glossaries found around 1905 by Jón Helgason
in the Arnamagnæan Collection
of the University of Copenhagen
: Vocabula gallica ("French words") and Vocabula biſcaïca ("Biscay
ne words").
Helgason brought them to the attention of Christianus Cornelius Uhlenbeck
, a versatile linguist from the University of Leyden with an expertise in Basque.
His post-graduate student, N.G.H. Deen, traveled in 1927 to the Basque Country to collaborate with Julio de Urquijo on the research that Deen published as his doctoral thesis
in 1937.
The manuscripts were sent back to Iceland in 1986, but one of them was lost.
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
spoken in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in the 17th century. It developed due to the contact that Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
rs had with the Icelandic locals, probably in Vestfirðir. The vocabulary was heavily based upon the Labourdin Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, but also upon an Atlantic pidgin with Romance and English influences.
It is documented in two glossaries found around 1905 by Jón Helgason
Jón Helgason
Jón Helgason was an Icelandic philologist and poet. He was head of the Danish Árni Magnússon Institute from 1927 to 1971 and professor of Icelandic studies at the University of Copenhagen from 1929 to 1970. He made significant contributions to his field. As a poet he was not prolific but noted for...
in the Arnamagnæan Collection
Arnamagnæan Collection
The Arnamagnæan Institute is a teaching and research institute established in 1956 to further the study of the manuscripts in the Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection, the collection bequeathed by the Icelandic scholar and antiquarian Árni Magnússon to the University of Copenhagen in 1730.On July 1,...
of the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
: Vocabula gallica ("French words") and Vocabula biſcaïca ("Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
ne words").
Helgason brought them to the attention of Christianus Cornelius Uhlenbeck
Christianus Cornelius Uhlenbeck
Christianus Cornelius Uhlenbeck was a Dutch linguist and anthropologist with a wide variety of research interests. His published work included books and articles on Germanic and Balto-Slavic languages, Sanskrit, Basque, and the Blackfeet language of North American Indians...
, a versatile linguist from the University of Leyden with an expertise in Basque.
His post-graduate student, N.G.H. Deen, traveled in 1927 to the Basque Country to collaborate with Julio de Urquijo on the research that Deen published as his doctoral thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
in 1937.
The manuscripts were sent back to Iceland in 1986, but one of them was lost.
Samples
- for ju mala gissuna. "You are a bad man". for ju points to EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
for you; mala is "bad" in SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; gizona is "the man" in modern BasqueBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
. - normandia chave andia. "The French know a lot". normandia is NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, a part of France; forms similar to chave (from SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
"sabe" or FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
"savez", know) are present in Mediterranean Lingua FrancaMediterranean Lingua FrancaThe Mediterranean Lingua Franca or Sabir was a pidgin language used as a lingua franca in the Mediterranean Basin from the 11th to the 19th century.-History:...
(Sabir) and other pidgins and creolesCreole languageA creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
(see "savvy" for a related form in English); handia is modern BasqueBasque languageBasque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
for "the big one".
| Basque-Icelandic | Basque Basque language Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories... |
French French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... |
English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
|---|---|---|---|
| sua | sua | le feu | fire |
| harria | harria | pierre | stone |
| eskora | aizkora | hache | ax |
| kanavita | ganibeta | couteau | knife |
| schularua | eskularrua | gant | glove |
| unat | honat! | venez ici | come here! |
| lingva | mihi | langue | tongue |
| trucka | trukatu | troquer | to buy |
| Basque-Icelandic | Basque Basque language Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories... |
Icelandic Icelandic language Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the... |
English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gessurtia | Gezurtia | Lygari | Liar |
| Satto | Zatoz | Kom þú | Come! |
| Nescagastia | Neska gaztea | Ógift kona | Unmarried woman |
| Ez tacit | Ez dakit | Ég veit ekki | I don't know |
| Suas camporat | Zoaz kanpora | Farðu frá mér | Go away! |
| Gekiseite | Jaiki zaitez | Farðu á fætur | Get up! |
| gianzu caca | Jan ezazu kaka | Éttu skít | eat shit! |
External links
- Examples.
- Slaying of Spaniards in the West fjords in 1615, an exhibition and a conference on 24 June 2006 about a massacre of Basque castaways by the Icelandic locals.