Joanes Leizarraga
Encyclopedia
Joanes Leizarraga was a 16th century Basque
priest. He is most famous for being the first to attempt the standardisation of the Basque language
and for the translation of religious works into Basque, in particular the first Basque translation of the New Testament
.
in the province of Labourd
in a village called Briscous
in 1506. Although the village was in Labourd, it fell within the area of the Lower Navarrese
dialect of Basque. His family's farmhouse bore the family's name, Leizarraga, and stood in Briscous until it was destroyed in 1944. Very little is known about Leizarraga's early years beyond these few facts.
. Although it is not known where he trained, he was trained as a priest and converted to Protestantism
in 1560. By 1563, his name is mentioned in the records of the Protestant Synod of Béarn
.
In his dedication of the New Testament to Jeanne d'Albret he mentions having spent time in prison but again, it is not known which prison he was in, what the charge was or how long he was imprisoned for.
He was instituted as rector
of the church in Bastide
in Lower Navarre
in 1567 by Jeanne d'Albret. By the time Leizarraga came to Bastide, the majority of inhabitants were no longer speaking Basque but had switched to speaking Gascon
. Nonetheless, Leizarraga was even in his time renowned as a great scholar of the Basque language, the very reason he would later be entrusted with the translation of the New Testament. It is also known that various Basque shepherds in the area sent their children to him so that he would teach them Basque.
He was married but it is not known when or to whom.
In March 1563 Leizarraga was instructed by Jeanne d'Albret, the Queen of Navarre
at the Synod of Béarn to produce a Basque translation of the New Testament. Having negotiated the tricky issue of translating into a language which by then had no great written tradition, common standard or spelling system, he persevered with some help from four old Catholic colleagues: Piarres Landetxeberri from Espès-Undurein
, Sanz de Tartas from Charritte-de-Bas
(both in Soule
), Joanes Etxeberri from Saint-Jean-de-Luz
and a Mr Tardets who was a minister in Ostabat. Finally, in 1571, the printer Pierre Hautin based in La Rochelle
printed three works by Leizarraga, amongst them is translation of the New Testament.
It is indicative of the respect he commanded that in 1582 he was visited by Jacques Auguste de Thou
, the man who would later negotiate the Edict of Nantes
on religious tolerance. In his writings, Thou mentions Leizarraga and the copy of the Basque translation of the New Testament he had been given as a gift during his visit. This copy today is in the National Library of France.
It is also Thou who mentions the exceptionally harmonious relatioship between Protestants and Catholics in Bastide where according to him both faiths were worshipped in the church, something that was rare in 16th century France which is known for its religious wars
.
By 1594 Leizarraga was no longer attending the Synod of Béarn, the record stating Monsieur de Lissarrague, ministre de Labastide de Clarence, excusé pour sa vieillesse et pour son indisposition "Mr Liazarraga, minister of Bastida, makes his excuse due to old age and being indisposed.
He died in Bastide in 1601 at the age of 95.
The most famous of these undoubtedly is the Testamentu Berria which even today is known as "Leizarraga's New Testament". Apart from the New Testament's main text, his translation also includes the following addenda:
The Kalendrera is short, 15 page calendar with monthly listings of religious events and holidays, the ABC a short collection of common prayers and instructions on how to conduct daily worship.
The other main criticism was, that as an over-regional standard, he based his standard too much on his native Lapurdian dialect
and the two other Northern dialects with very little regard to the Southern dialects. However, it must be remembered that he was the first to tackle standardisation and that there no previous work he could build upon and that with his limited resources he had to carry out most of the work himself.
Overall, the quality of his translations and the thoroughness of his effort at standardising Basque were and are recognised today and have in no small way contributed to the formation of Standard Basque
.
As an example, the following is a comparison between Leizarraga's version and the modern version of the Lord's prayer (in Leizarraga's orthography):
, Zuberoan
and Lower Navarrese
which at the time were considered the prestigious varieties of Basque.
He discusses the issue of dialectal divergence in the foreword and says:
In the 20th century, Federico Krutwig
proposed to the Basque Academy
Leizarraga's language as the basis for Modern Standard Basque, but his ideas did not get enough support.
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...
priest. He is most famous for being the first to attempt the standardisation 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...
and for the translation of religious works into Basque, in particular the first Basque translation of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
- French spellings of his name are often encountered in older works, for example Ioannes Leiçarraga and Jean de Liçarrague and various other spellings of his surname such as Leissarrague or Leiçarraga. or in Spanish Juan de Lizárraga.
Early years
Leizarraga was born in the Northern Basque CountryNorthern 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....
in the province 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....
in a village called Briscous
Briscous
Briscous is a small village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-External links:*...
in 1506. Although the village was in Labourd, it fell within the area of the Lower Navarrese
Lower Navarrese
Lower Navarrese is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lower Navarre region of France. It differs somewhat from Upper Navarrese, which is more generally spoken in the Spanish Basque Country....
dialect of Basque. His family's farmhouse bore the family's name, Leizarraga, and stood in Briscous until it was destroyed in 1944. Very little is known about Leizarraga's early years beyond these few facts.
Priesthood
Leizarraga was baptised a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. Although it is not known where he trained, he was trained as a priest and converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in 1560. By 1563, his name is mentioned in the records of the Protestant Synod of Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
.
In his dedication of the New Testament to Jeanne d'Albret he mentions having spent time in prison but again, it is not known which prison he was in, what the charge was or how long he was imprisoned for.
He was instituted as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the church in Bastide
La Bastide-Clairence
La Bastide-Clairence is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-People:...
in Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
in 1567 by Jeanne d'Albret. By the time Leizarraga came to Bastide, the majority of inhabitants were no longer speaking Basque but had switched to speaking Gascon
Gascon 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...
. Nonetheless, Leizarraga was even in his time renowned as a great scholar of the Basque language, the very reason he would later be entrusted with the translation of the New Testament. It is also known that various Basque shepherds in the area sent their children to him so that he would teach them Basque.
He was married but it is not known when or to whom.
In March 1563 Leizarraga was instructed by Jeanne d'Albret, the Queen of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
at the Synod of Béarn to produce a Basque translation of the New Testament. Having negotiated the tricky issue of translating into a language which by then had no great written tradition, common standard or spelling system, he persevered with some help from four old Catholic colleagues: Piarres Landetxeberri from Espès-Undurein
Espès-Undurein
Espès-Undurein is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Soule.-External links:*...
, Sanz de Tartas from Charritte-de-Bas
Charritte-de-Bas
Charritte-de-Bas is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Soule.The steeple of the church is a trinitarian one.-External links:*...
(both in Soule
Soule
Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...
), Joanes Etxeberri from Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
and a Mr Tardets who was a minister in Ostabat. Finally, in 1571, the printer Pierre Hautin based in La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
printed three works by Leizarraga, amongst them is translation of the New Testament.
It is indicative of the respect he commanded that in 1582 he was visited by Jacques Auguste de Thou
Jacques Auguste de Thou
Jacques Auguste de Thou was a French historian, book collector and president of the Parlement de Paris.-Life:...
, the man who would later negotiate the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
on religious tolerance. In his writings, Thou mentions Leizarraga and the copy of the Basque translation of the New Testament he had been given as a gift during his visit. This copy today is in the National Library of France.
It is also Thou who mentions the exceptionally harmonious relatioship between Protestants and Catholics in Bastide where according to him both faiths were worshipped in the church, something that was rare in 16th century France which is known for its religious wars
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
.
By 1594 Leizarraga was no longer attending the Synod of Béarn, the record stating Monsieur de Lissarrague, ministre de Labastide de Clarence, excusé pour sa vieillesse et pour son indisposition "Mr Liazarraga, minister of Bastida, makes his excuse due to old age and being indisposed.
He died in Bastide in 1601 at the age of 95.
Leizarraga's work
Leizarraga published three books, all in 1571:- Iesus Christ Gure Iaunaren Testamentu Berria (The New Testament of Jesus Christ our Lord)
- Kalendrera (a calendar of religious holiday)
- ABC edo Christinoen instructionea (ABC or the Christian's Instruction)
The most famous of these undoubtedly is the Testamentu Berria which even today is known as "Leizarraga's New Testament". Apart from the New Testament's main text, his translation also includes the following addenda:
- Testamentu Berrian diraden icen propri Hebraico eta Greco batzuén declarationeo ("Listing of some of the Hebrew and Greek proper names contained in the New Testament"), 3 pages
- Testamentu Berrico hitz eta mincatzeco manera difficil bakoitz batzu bere declarationéquin ("Listing with explanations of a number of difficult words and expressions of the New Testament"), 13 pages
- Çuberoaco herrian usançatan eztiraden hitz bakoitz batzu hango ançora itzuliac ("Some words not used in Zuberoa with their local equivalants"), 2 pages
- Testamentu Berrico materien erideteco taulá ("A table for finding topics of the New Testament"), 48 pages
- a long section on how to conduct ecclesiastical ceremonies:
- Othoitza ecclesiasticoen forma ("The way of ecclesiastical prayer"), 15 pages
- Baptismoaren administratzeco form ("The way of administering baptism"), 6 pages
- Cenaren celebratzeco forma ("The way of celebrating mass"), 5 pages
- Ezconcaren celebratzeco forma ("The way of celebrating a wedding"), 5 pages
- Erien visitatzeaz ("On visiting the ill"), 2 pages
- Catechismea, cein erran nahi baita, Iesus Christen doctrinán haourrén iracasteco formá... ("The CatechismCatechismA catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
, meaning the way of teaching the doctrine of Jesus Christ to children..."), a 62 page section in a question and answer format
- a short treatise on the life of a Christian
The Kalendrera is short, 15 page calendar with monthly listings of religious events and holidays, the ABC a short collection of common prayers and instructions on how to conduct daily worship.
Critical appraisal
The main criticism that has been made of his work is that he often used Romance loanwords where native terms exist. For example, he translates "fisher of men" as giza pescadorea rather than giza arrantzalea. At the same time, he uses grammatical forms which were most likely archaic even in his period.The other main criticism was, that as an over-regional standard, he based his standard too much on his native Lapurdian dialect
Lapurdian
Lapurdian or Labourdin is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lapurdi region of the Basque Country in France...
and the two other Northern dialects with very little regard to the Southern dialects. However, it must be remembered that he was the first to tackle standardisation and that there no previous work he could build upon and that with his limited resources he had to carry out most of the work himself.
Overall, the quality of his translations and the thoroughness of his effort at standardising Basque were and are recognised today and have in no small way contributed to the formation of Standard Basque
Batua
Standard Basque is a standardised version of the Basque language, developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s, which nowadays is the most widely and commonly spoken Basque-language version throughout the Basque Country...
.
Leizarraga as a source
Leizarraga's texts provide a wealth of data on the Basque of his time.- His work includes one of the few documented tripersonal verb forms where the direct object is not in the third person: gommendatzen cerauzquiotet "I recommend you to them", which is a type of Basque verb formationBasque verbsThe verb is one of the most complex parts of Basque grammar. It is sometimes represented as a difficult challenge for learners of the language, and many Basque grammars devote most of their pages to lists or tables of verb paradigms...
no longer in use. - He is one of the first known authors to have used the term heuscal herria (Euskal Herria in modern spelling, meaning "Basque Country").
As an example, the following is a comparison between Leizarraga's version and the modern version of the Lord's prayer (in Leizarraga's orthography):
| Leizarraga | Bizkaian | Standard Basque Batua Standard Basque is a standardised version of the Basque language, developed by the Basque Language Academy in the late 1960s, which nowadays is the most widely and commonly spoken Basque-language version throughout the Basque Country... |
English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gure Aita ceruëtan aicena, Sanctifica bedi hire Icena. Ethor bedi hire Resumá. Eguin bedi hire vorondatea, ceruän beçala lurrean-ere. Gure eguneco oguia iguc egun. Eta barka ietzaguc gure bekatuac, nola guc-ere offensatu gaituztenér barkatzen baitrauëgu. Eta ezgaitzala sar eraci tentationetan, baina deliura gaitzac gaitzetic. Amen. |
Aita gurea zeruetan zagozana, donetsia izan bedi zure izena. Betor gugana zure erregekuntzea. Egin bedi zure naia, zelan zeruan alan lurrean ere. Egunean eguneango gure ogia gaur emon eiguzu. Ta parkatu gure zorrak gure zordunai guk parketan deutseguzan legez. Ez itxi zirikaldian jausten ezpabe gorde gaizuz gatxetik. Amen |
Gure Aita zeruetan zaudena, santu izan bedi zure izena. Etor bedi zure erreinua. Egin bedi zure nahia, zeruan bezala lurrean ere. Emaguzu gaur egun honetako ogia. Barkatu gure zorrak geuk ere gure zordunei barkatzen diegun bezala. Eta ez gu tentaldira eraman baina atera gaitzazu gaitzetik. Amen |
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen. |
Standardisation of Basque
Leizarraga's work represents the first documented effort to bring together the various Basque dialects in a single standard. His form of Basque was largely based on the Northern dialects LapurdianLapurdian
Lapurdian or Labourdin is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lapurdi region of the Basque Country in France...
, Zuberoan
Zuberoan
Souletin , is the Basque dialect spoken in Soule, France.-Name:In English sources, the Basque-based term Zuberoan is sometimes encountered. In Standard Basque, the dialect is known as Zuberera , locally variously as Üskara, Xiberera or Xiberotarra...
and Lower Navarrese
Lower Navarrese
Lower Navarrese is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lower Navarre region of France. It differs somewhat from Upper Navarrese, which is more generally spoken in the Spanish Basque Country....
which at the time were considered the prestigious varieties of Basque.
He discusses the issue of dialectal divergence in the foreword and says:
In the 20th century, Federico Krutwig
Federico Krutwig
Federico Krutwig Sagredo was a Spanish Basque writer and politician, author of several books.Along with Felix Likiniano, he tried to create some resistance to the Francoist regime after the Spanish Civil War...
proposed to the Basque Academy
Euskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
Leizarraga's language as the basis for Modern Standard Basque, but his ideas did not get enough support.