Guéthary
Encyclopedia
Guéthary is a commune
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
department in south-western France
. It is located in the traditional Basque
province
of Labourd
, the town traditionally standing on the northernmost coastal linguistic boundary of the Basque language
.
word getari, 'post for watching' (the whales), while this assumption has been disputed by current linguists, who trace the name back to latin
caetaria, 'fish processing facility', supported by archaeological evidence unearthed both in Guéthary and the same name Getaria
from Gipuzkoa.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is located in the traditional Basque
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
of Labourd
Labourd
Labourd is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques département. It is historically one of the seven provinces of the traditional Basque Country....
, the town traditionally standing on the northernmost coastal linguistic boundary of the 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...
.
History
Guéthary has existed as a small fishing village since the early 12th century. It became famous for hunting whales in the 13th century. Actually, the linguist Henri Gavel put down the name of the town to the GasconGascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
word getari, 'post for watching' (the whales), while this assumption has been disputed by current linguists, who trace the name back to latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
caetaria, 'fish processing facility', supported by archaeological evidence unearthed both in Guéthary and the same name Getaria
Getaria
Getaria may refer to:* Getaria , a town located in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa* Getaria , a small village in the Basque province of Labourd...
from Gipuzkoa.