Pierre Lhande Heguy was born in Bayonne

Bayonne

Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...

, 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...

 on the 9 July 1877 and died 17 April 1957 in Tardets, Soule

Soule

Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...

. For unknown reasons he was given his grandfather's surname, Lhande, as opposed to his father's surname Basagaitz.

Biography

His father died when Lhande was 8 and he moved to Sauguis-Saint-Étienne

Sauguis-Saint-Étienne

Sauguis-Saint-Étienne is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Soule.-External links:*...

 in Soule

Soule

Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...

 with his mother. A young man, he joined the Seminary

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 of Bayonne but was subsequently expelled due to his pre-occupation with poetry and the Basque language. He then joined the Jesuits of Rodez

Rodez

Rodez is a town and commune in southern France, in the Aveyron department, of which it is the capital. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois.-History:Existing from at least the 5th century BC, Rodez was founded by the Celts...

 and moved to Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and later the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 with the order. After a teaching spell in El Puerto de Santa María

El Puerto de Santa María

El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...

, he returned to Belgium and was ordained in August 1910. He returned to Hondarribia

Hondarribia

Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...

 in the Northern Basque Country

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....

 in 1911. He would remain in the Basque Country until his death in 1957 in the Saint-Antoine à Tardets home.

Works

The author of numerous pieces of writing, he is perhaps best known for his monumental 1926 Dictionnaire Basque-Français of the Northern Basque dialects

Basque dialects

Basque dialects are linguistic varieties which differ in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar from each other and from Standard Basque. Between 6 and 9 Basque dialects have been historically distinguished:*Biscayan*Gipuzkoan...

 Labourdin

Lapurdian

Lapurdian or Labourdin is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lapurdi region of the Basque Country in France...

, 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....

 and Souletin.