{"id":1113,"date":"2014-06-24T03:55:05","date_gmt":"2014-06-24T03:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/?p=1113"},"modified":"2014-06-24T03:55:05","modified_gmt":"2014-06-24T03:55:05","slug":"basque-ing-in-play-by-begona-echeverria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/2014\/06\/24\/basque-ing-in-play-by-begona-echeverria\/","title":{"rendered":"Basque-ing in play by Bego\u00f1a Echeverria"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this guest article, Professor\u00a0Bego\u00f1a Echeverria, a professor of education at the University of California, Riverside, describes how she uses songs to teach basic concepts of the Basque language to adults, focusing not on grammatical aspects, but rather conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eskerrik asko,\u00a0Bego\u00f1a!<\/em><\/p>\n

Basque-ing in play: Using song to teach Basque in the American diaspora<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bego\u00f1a Echeverria<\/p>\n

Associate Professor and Associate Dean
\nGraduate School of Education
\nUniversity of California
\nRiverside, CA 92521-0128<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Efforts to revitalize Basque (Euskera<\/em>) focus on showing its \u201cequality\u201d to dominant languages, emphasizing grammar and \u201ccorrectness\u201d in the classroom. But while the number of Basque speakers has risen in the last few decades, Euskera<\/em> is still endangered.\u00a0 Basque speakers will switch to another language (usually Spanish or French, but English in the diaspora) when only one non-Basque speaker is among them and speakers do not speak the Euskera<\/em> they know:\u00a0 by 2001, one-quarter of the population in the Basque Autonomous Community spoke Basque, but only 14% used in publicly (Urla, 2013: 133).\u00a0 Standardization has increased native speakers\u2019 insecurities so that \u201c\u2019the creative capacity of the Basque speaker is being lost, the capacity to play with and enjoy the language. And when that is lost, the language itself is on the way to being lost\u2019\u201d (Urla, 2013: 108, quoting Zuazo 2000: 132).<\/p>\n

I took these lessons to heart when I taught a Basque class to adults between 2006-2010 for a Basque club in southern California.\u00a0 The class was part of a larger effort through the North American Basque Organization, composed of Basque clubs in the United States and Canada, to promote the language (www.nabasque.us<\/a>).\u00a0 I was asked to take over the class by one of its students when the first volunteer teacher was unable to continue. I agreed to take on the class so long as it focused on conversational skills\u2014and not grammatical \u201ccorrectness\u201d\u2014in part, because I am not a trained foreign language teacher, but also because the research I have done in the Basque Country itself suggested that focusing on teaching \u201ccorrect\u201d Basque was problematic to the extent that it made many Basque learners (and sometimes native speakers) too self-conscious to actually speak Basque outside the classroom (Echeverria 2003).<\/p>\n

In this sense, my work corroborates that of scholars in other minority language communities.\u00a0 That is, while attempts to revitalize languages often focus on standardizing and modernizing their languages so that they become more instrumentally useful and more able to challenge dominant language hegemony, such strategies do not guarantee that the prestige and use of that language will increase. Eckert (1983) demonstrates that minority language standardization can just as easily alienate native speakers as empower them; Wong (1999) shows that native speakers might reject the standard imposed on them altogether. Gal (1979) and Milroy (1987) suggest that, because of the association often found between vernaculars and solidarity, some speakers will continue to speak vernaculars even if they are not instrumentally advantageous.<\/p>\n

But another reason for my insistence on the class focusing on informal conversation rather formal grammatical rules or conventions was that I knew that in order for the experience to be worthwhile for me\u2014it was on a volunteer basis, after all\u2014it had to be fun. And that meant using songs and games as much as possible to teach the language.\u00a0 In this paper, I focus on the songs I used and wrote to convey some of the basic vocabulary needed for conversation in Basque, and to illustrate some the features of the language that most challenged my English-speaking students.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Basque Language Ideologies<\/strong><\/p>\n

I begin with a brief discussion of the various, often contradictory, language ideologies about the Basque language itself. Language ideology:<\/p>\n

refer[s] to commonly held conceptualizations about the social life of language that circulate in the discourses of experts,\u00a0 political organizations and civil society at large . . . the ideas (shared or contested) that people have about what speaking a language . . . implies about one\u2019s identity or political loyalties; beliefs about how a language should be spoken and with whom; comparisons people make about the value, beauty, or elegance of different languages or dialects; theories about what makes a language live or die, and so forth\u201d(Urla, 2013:\u00a0 10; cf Schieffelin, Woolard and Kroskrity, 1998).<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to Euskera<\/em>, like many other languages, language ideologies are often viscerally felt, vociferously debated \u2013 and often, very contradictory.\u00a0 One of these is that Basque is a particularly difficult language to learn. To wit, there a saying that the Devil tried to learn Basque for seven years but only learned three words (though I cannot recall what those three words supposedly were).\u00a0 This ideology is clearly articulated in The Basque English Dictionary<\/span> by Gorka Aulestia, which was published by the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1989.\u00a0 The first comprehensive attempt to teach Basque in the English-speaking diaspora, it is widely used as a reference today.\u00a0 In the introductory section of the book Aulestia states: \u201cIt is not easy to master the Basque language. One of the reasons for this is the richness and complexity of the verb.\u00a0 Tackling the complexity of the Basque verbs can be frustrating for the American students accustomed to the simple structure of the English verb\u201d (1989: 146).<\/p>\n

However, the nature of the verbal system \u2013 and other features of Euskera<\/em> that differentiate it from other languages as a language isolate — do not inherently make Basque hard to learn.\u00a0 For instance, the late Basque linguist Larry Trask, had this response to the question on his website, now fortunately archived on Buber\u2019s Basque page (www.buber.net\/Basque\/Euskara\/Larry\/webSite\/basque.faqs.html<\/a>):<\/p>\n

Q8: Is Basque exceedingly difficult to learn?<\/em><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0<\/em>Not at all. Today thousands of people speak Basque as a second language; among these are native speakers of Spanish, French, English, Dutch, German, Japanese, and other languages. In fact, Basque is a rather easy language to pick up, while mastering it is no more difficult than mastering any other language. The pronunciation is easy, the spelling is regular, there is no grammatical gender, there are no noun-classes or verb-classes, and there are no irregular nouns and hardly any irregular verbs.<\/p>\n

My point here is not to adjudicate whether Basque is difficult or easy to learn. I only wish to point out that diametrically opposed ideologies about this issue have been made\u2014often drawing on the same linguistic evidence.\u00a0 What is important to point out, however, is that this notion of Basque being difficult to learn permeated my own Basque class \u2013 even among Americans with no Basque ancestry who grew up with little exposure to the language. Usually this has manifested itself in questions about the \u201ccorrect\u201d ways to conjugate verbs or pronounce words.\u00a0 In the rest of this paper, then, I provide some examples of the songs I wrote to (hopefully) assuage student concerns about \u201ccorrectness\u201d by attempting to make the lessons fun.<\/p>\n

Numerals<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>I begin with some songs I used to convey basic Basque vocabulary on numerals and colors.\u00a0 The first twenty Basque numerals are listed below (Trask, 1997: 272):<\/p>\n

Text 1: Basque Numerals<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a01 bat \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 11 hamaika ~ hameka<\/p>\n

\u00a0 2 bi (northern biga \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 12 hamabi
\nin isolation)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 3 hiru\u00a0 (hirur in \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a013 hamahiru ~ hamahirur
\nnorthern varieties)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 4 lau (laur in \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a014 hamalau ~ hamalaur
\nnorthern varieties)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 5 bost (bortz in \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a015 hamabost ~ hamabortz
\neastern varieties)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 6 sei \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 16 hamasei<\/p>\n

\u00a0 7 zazpi \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a017 hamazazpi<\/p>\n

\u00a0 8 zortzi \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 18 hemezortzi<\/p>\n

\u00a0 9 bederatzi\u00a0\u00a0 (bede(r)atzu \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 19 hemeretzi
\nin Zuberoa)<\/p>\n

\u00a010 hamar \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a020 hogei\u00a0 (hogoi in northern \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 varieties)<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Certainly, a Basque teacher could use have students memorize these numerals. But there is also a song I learned from a friend and colleague whose maternal grandfather (from the northern Basque Country) taught it to her:<\/p>\n

Colors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The same could be said about Basque color terms. Teachers could \u2013 and likely, do \u2013 ask students to memorize the list of basic color terms.\u00a0 (Unlike with the numerals, there is little variation between dialects, except for the color \u201cgreen,\u201d\u00a0 which can be either \u201cberde\u201d or \u201cperde\u201d (Trask,\u00a0 1997: 267).\u00a0 But some students found it helpful to have the color terms put in a familiar context:<\/p>\n

Text 2: Koloreak
\n<\/span>(Tune: \u201cDe Colores\u201d)<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nLittle Red Riding Hood
\nIn Basque her cloak
\nIt would be gorria<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nThe blue sky above her
\nEuskaraz\u2014da zeru urdina [in Basque\u2014is the blue sky]<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nAnd the green grass she walks
\non her way to her grandma\u2019s\u2014berdea<\/p>\n

Gorria, urdina, berdea
\nKoloreak bait dira [Because they are colors]
\nEuskaraz erran! [say them in Basque]<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nThe big bad wolf he snarls
\nhis big yellow teeth
\nThey\u2019re horia!<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nLittle Red Riding Hood
\nRuns away in her keds
\nThey\u2019re zuria<\/p>\n

Koloreak
\nIf you mix up these colors
\nThey make black
\nEuskaraz da beltza<\/p>\n

Horia, zuri eta beltza
\nKoloreak bait dira
\nEuskaraz erran!<\/p>\n

\u00a0Time Adverbs <\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to basic terms like numerals and color terms, my students sometimes struggled to remember the various time adverbs in Basque. As we see in Text 3, not all of the Basque terms have equivalents in English:<\/p>\n

Text 3: Time Adverbs<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Atzo \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0yesterday
\nAurten \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 this year
\nBeti \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0always
\nBihar \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 tomorrow
\nBiharamunean\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the next day
\nEgun \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0today
\nEtzi \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 the day after tomorrow
\nEtzidamu \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0the day after the day after tomorrow
\nGaur zortzi \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0one week from today
\nHerenegun \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0the day before yesterday
\nIaz \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 last year
\nOndoren \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0afterward\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we can see, it is often possible to say in one word in Basque what it takes several words to say in English.\u00a0 Similarly, the future tense in Basque is indicated by the use of suffixes rather than separate words:<\/p>\n

The future form is used only used in certain compound tenses:\u00a0 the future (hasiko da), the future-in-the-past (hasiko zen), the first conditional (hasiko litzateke), and the hypothetic (hasiko balitz).\u00a0 The future form need not be given among the principal parts because it is easily derived from the dictionary form. Unless the dictionary form ends in n, the addition of \u2013ko to it will give us the future for . . . If the infinitive ends in n, we can add \u2013go or \u2013en (King, 1994: 393).<\/em><\/p>\n

Jansen (2007: 140) put it in a slightly different way: \u201cThe future participle is formed by adding the ending \u2013ko (-go after a final n) to the perfective of the verb. Its appoximate meaning is \u2018about to . . \u2018 or \u2018to be . . . ing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Informed by both of these guides, I wrote the followign song to teach time adverbs and future tense together:<\/p>\n

Text 4: \u201cBihar edo etzi\u201d
\n<\/span>\u00a0(Tune: \u201cTomorrow,\u201d from \u201cAnnie\u201d)<\/p>\n

Bihar<\/strong> edo etzi
\n<\/em>The future
\nTo foresee
\nIt\u2019s stem plus
\n-ko, -go or (r)en<\/p>\n

A week from today
\n<\/em><\/strong>Gaur zortzi
\n<\/em><\/strong>Bihar urte
\nOne year from tomorrow
\nDon\u2019t you know?<\/p>\n

Biharamuna, \u201cthe next day\u201d
\nEtzidamu<\/em>\u2014the day
\n<\/em>After etzi
\n<\/em>Don\u2019t you see?<\/p>\n

Bihar<\/strong> edo etzi
\n<\/em>The future
\nTo foresee
\nIt\u2019s stem plus
\n-ko, -go or (r)en<\/p>\n

Intensification of Adjectives and Adverbs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another feature of Euskera<\/em> that was usually unfamiliar to my students was how \u201creduplication\u201d is used to show intensity of adjectives or adverbs. Basque does have various adverbs for \u201cvery\u201d –biziki, oso, izugarri (King 1994:\u00a0 351); as in English the adverb precedes the adjective it modifies, i.e. \u201cvery good\u201d would be \u201cbiziki ona\u201d (among other options).\u00a0 However, Basque also intensifies adjectives or adverbs by repeating it. The following song teaches this concept alongside simple vocabular:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Text 5: Izar ttipi, ttipia
\n<\/span>(Tune: \u201cTwinkle, twinkle little star\u201d)<\/p>\n

Izar ttipi, ttipia
\nTwinkle, \u201cvery little star\u201d
\nNot \u201cvery\u201d much do we need
\nPick an adjective, repeat
\nIzar ttipi, ttipia
\nTwinkle, \u201cvery little star\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While my choice of noun and adjective is obviously inspired by the song source, other options could easily be substituted for \u201cstar\u201d and \u201clittle,\u201d per the lesson\u2019s objectives.<\/p>\n

Pronouns<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>In keeping with my emphasis on conversation, my students spent much time in class talking about (or attempting to talk about) their experiences, their family, friends and other people with whom they interacted. These dialogues require knowledge of personal pronouns \u2013 and the knowledge that pronouns are optional in Basque. That is, \u201cBasque has extended pro-drop: subjects, direct objects and indirect objects, all of which are marked in the verb, need not be expressed as overt [Noun Phrases]\u201d (Trask, 1997: 123). I built on a song written by the Basque band Urko about pronouns and their corresponding \u201cto be\u201d conjugations in the present tense to teach \u201cpro-drop\u201d as it related to \u201cto be\u201d in the past tense:<\/p>\n

Text 6: \u201cTo be\u201d pro-drop<\/p>\n

Past\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pronoun\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Present<\/strong>\n\nnintzen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ni<\/strong>\u00a0(I ) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 naiz\nhintzen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hi<\/strong>\u00a0(You, fam.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 haiz\nZinen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zu<\/strong>\u00a0(You, formal)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0zara\nGinen \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Gu <\/strong>(We)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0  gara\nzineten\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zuek<\/strong> (You all)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0zarete\nZen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hura<\/strong> (He, she, it)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0da\nZiren\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Haiek<\/strong>\u00a0(They) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 dira<\/pre>\n
Songs to teach about verbs<\/strong><\/p>\n
Whether one thinks the Basque verbal system makes it difficult or easy to learn \u2013 or somewhere in between \u2013 one cannot deny that it is different from that of English. There are three forms of verbs in Basque. Verb phrases<\/em> usually combine a noun and a verb or an adjective and a verb; \u201c[t]hese verb phrases are usually idiomatic in Basque and are not generally created by the speaker\u201d (Aulestia, 1989:\u00a0 a47). Synthetic verbs<\/em> \u201cindicate in one word the person, number, tense, mood and different complements\u201d . . . Thus, the sentence \u2018I come to you\u2019 can be expressed in a single word, natorkizu<\/strong>, in which\u201d (bold in original):<\/p>\n
n = first person singular (\u201cNi\u201d = \u201cI\u201d)
\na = present tense marker
\ntor = verb stem for \u201cetorri\u201d (\u201cto come\u201d)
\nki = infix preceding indirect object
\nzu = indirect object (\u201cto you\u201d)<\/p>\n
Periphrastic verbs<\/em> combine main and auxiliary verbs. \u201cPeriphrasis is used, as a general rule, to supply those tenses lacking in the synthetic conjugations\u201d (Ibid).\u00a0 The main auxiliary verbs are \u201cizan\u201d (\u201cto be\u201d) used with intransitive verbs, and \u201cukan\u201d (\u201cto have\u201d) used with transitive verbs.\u00a0 Most verb tenses require periphrasis; it is well nigh impossible to have a conversation in Basque without understanding how to use izan<\/em> and ukan<\/em> in doing so.\u00a0 To facilititate understanding of this concept, I wrote the following song:<\/p>\n
Text 7:\u00a0 \u201c\u2019To be\u2019 or not \u2018to be\u00b9\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
IZAN is the \u201cto be\u201d verb
\n\u201cto be\u201d verb, \u201cto be\u201d verb
\nIZAN also helps
\nOur intransitive verbs
\nLike \u201cI go\u201d or \u201cyou stay\u201d or \u201cwe sit\u201d or \u201cthey stand\u201d
\nIZAN, it\u2019s \u201cto be\u201d
\nfor intransitive verbs<\/p>\n
UKAN is the \u201cto have\u201d verb
\n\u201cto have\u201d verb, \u201cto have\u201d verb
\nUKAN also helps
\nBasque the transitive verbs
\nLike \u201cI eat\u201d or \u201cyou drink\u201d or \u201cwe sing\u201d or \u201cthey think\u201d
\nUKAN \u201chas\u201d the objects
\nOf transitive verbs\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Transitive verbs<\/strong><\/p>\n
By far, my biggest challenge in not turning my class into lessons in English about the Basque language \u2013 rather than a conversation class in Basque \u2013 was the number of questions students had about transitive verbs.\u00a0 As indicated in the song above, \u201cukan\u201d is the main auxiliary verb for transitive verbs; it can also stand as a verb on its own.\u00a0 In addition:<\/p>\n
[t]here are six paradigms corresponding to the tenses of the intransitive verb . . . [but] in dealing with the transitive verbs we find ourselves obliged to include twelve paradigms . . . to cover the same tenses in order to account for the differences that occur when only a direct object is involved (the nor-nork construction) and when both a direct and indirect object are involved (the nor-nori-nork) construction (Aulestia, 1989: a58)<\/em><\/p>\n
Having seen the eyes even of native speakers glaze over \u2013 and feeling my own do the same — when faced with the grids laying out these twelve paradigms, I decided to break the grid down into smaller parts through song.\u00a0\u00a0 One key feature of transitive verbs in Basque has to do with the \u201cergative \u2013k . . . [which] is used for the subject of a transitive verb\u201d (Trash, 1997: 92). \u00a0The first verse of the following song illustrates how the ergative \u2013k functions when the subject \u201chas\u201d one object:<\/p>\n
Text 8: UKAN (To have)<\/span>
\n(Tune: \u201cTwinkle, twinkle little star\u201d)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
Nik dut\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I have\nEta zuk duzu\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and you have\nHik dun, Hik duk\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She has, he has (familiar)\nGuk dugu\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We have\nZuek baita duzue\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and you all have, as well\nHarek du\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 S\/he or it has\nHaiek dute\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They have\nAditz transitiboa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With transitive verbs,\nSujetu \u201ck\u201d-ekin du\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The subject ends with \u201ck\u201d<\/pre>\n
The second verses illustrates ergativity when the subject \u201chas\u201d more than one object:<\/p>\n
Ditut
\nEta dituzu
\nDitun, dituk
\nDitugu
\nZuek badituzue
\nDitu
\nEta dituzte
\nAditz transitiboa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [With plural objects,
\nPluralak hola dira\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [This is how the verb goes]<\/p>\n
The conditional tense of\u00a0 \u201cukan\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>In keeping with my conversational emphasis, I also focused on the conditional tense of\u00a0 the \u201cukan\u201d (\u201cto have\u201d) auxiliary verb as it is used quite frequently in everyday Basque speech.<\/p>\n
Text 9:\u00a0 Conditional UKANta<\/span>
\n(Tune: \u201cYou say tomato\u2026\u201d)<\/p>\n
Nik nahi nuke \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I would like
\nZuk nahi zenuke\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You (formal) would like
\nGuk nahi genuke \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0We would like
\n(Zuek) nahi zenukete \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 You all would like
\nHarek nahi luke\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 S\/he or it would like
\nHaiek nahi lukete \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 They would like
\nThis is what we would like!<\/p>\n
\u00a0(Plural object or activity)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Nik nahi nituzke
\nNahi zenituzke
\nNahi genituzke
\nNahi zenituzkete
\nHarek nahi lituzke
\nNahi lituzkete
\nThese are what we would like!<\/p>\n
Transitive verbs with direct and indirect objects<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>The final song I will share with regard to the \u201cukan\u201d verb has to do with its use with direct and indirect objects, or what\u2019s known as \u201cNor-Nori-Nork.\u201d The song is written in pairs: the first part of the pair demonstrates how \u201cnor-nori-nork\u201d functions with a given subject and indirect object when the direct object is singular. The second pair part illustrates the process when the direct object is plural:<\/p>\n
Text 10: \u201cNor-nori-nork for dummies\u201d<\/span>
\n(Tune: \u201cA huntin\u2019 we will go\u201d)<\/p>\n
Eman dizu<\/strong>t<\/em> zu<\/strong>ri
\nNik<\/em> eman d-i-zu<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave something to you <\/strong>[earlier today]
\nNik<\/em> eman DIZU<\/strong>T<\/em><\/p>\n
Eman dizkizut
\nEman d-IZKI-zu<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave SOME THINGS to you
\n<\/strong>Eman DIZKIZUT<\/p>\n
Eman dizuet
\nNik<\/em> eman d-i-zue<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave something to y\u2019all
\n<\/strong>Nik eman DIZUET<\/p>\n
Eman dizkizuet
\nEman d-IZKI-zue<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave SOME THINGS to y\u2019all
\n<\/strong>Eman DIZKIZUET<\/p>\n
Eman diot hari
\nNik<\/em> eman d-i-o<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave something to<\/strong> her, him, or it
\n<\/strong>Nik<\/em> eman DIOT<\/p>\n
Eman dizkiot hari
\nEman d-IZKI-o<\/strong>–t<\/em> hari
\n<\/strong>I<\/em> gave SOME THINGS to her, him, or it
\n<\/strong>Eman DIZKIOT<\/p>\n
Eman diet haiei
\nNik<\/em> eman d-i-e<\/strong>–t
\n<\/em>I<\/em> gave something to them
\n<\/strong>Nik eman DIET<\/p>\n
Eman dizkiet
\nEman d-IZKI-e<\/strong>-t
\nI<\/em> gave SOME THINGS to them
\n<\/strong>Eman DIZKIET<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be\u201d or \u201cto have\u201d my favorite things<\/strong><\/p>\n
I conclude with a song I wrote to illustrate two different \u2013but linguistically equal\u2014ways to express liking or loving something, someone or some activity, or to find it pleasing:<\/p>\n
Text 11:\u00a0 \u201cMy favorite things\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI<\/em> like\u201d just one thing,
\nTo do one activity
\n\u201cNik<\/em> maite dut<\/em>\u201d
\nOr \u201cGustatzen zait<\/em> neri<\/em>\u201d
\n\u201cMaite duzu<\/strong>\u201d
\nOr\u00a0\u201cGustatzen zaizu<\/strong>\u201d
\nTo say what there is
\nThat\u2019s pleasing to you<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u201d have two choices
\nBesides \u201cMaite dute\u201d
\n\u201cGustatzen zaie\u201d
\n\u201cGustatzen zaiote\u201d
\n\u201cMaite duGU\u201d
\n\u201cWe like\u201d\u2014same thing is true:
\n\u201cGustatzen zaiKU\u201d
\n\u201cGustatzen zaiGU\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cYou all<\/em><\/strong>\u201d like something
\nIs \u201cMaite duzue<\/em><\/strong>\u201d
\nOr you can say
\n\u201cGustatzen zaizue<\/em><\/strong>\u201d
\n\u201cShe, he<\/em> or it<\/em> likes\u201d
\nThe two ways to go:
\n\u201cHarek<\/em> maite du<\/em>\u201d
\n\u201cGustatzen zaio<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n
For both of these choices
\nOne more thing to tell ya
\nIf liking verbs
\nThey have to end in \u201c-tzea\u201d
\nIt\u2019s \u201c-tea\u201d instead if the verb ends in \u2018n\u2019
\nLike \u201cto drink,\u201d that\u2019s \u201cedan\u201d
\nExceptions again!<\/p>\n
When what\u2019s pleasing
\nWith \u201cgustatzen\u201d
\nIs more than one thing
\nYou simply say \u201czaizki\u201d
\nInstead of \u201czai\u201d-ing
\nFor all of my
\nfavorite things!<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n
While writing these songs and this article was fun for me \u2013 and hopefully educative for the reader \u2013 what might the contributions of these songs be to Basque studies and endangered languages more generally?\u00a0 I would remind those of us who care about preserving minority and endangered languages \u2013 for their own sake as unique perspectives on the world, or as emblems of various kinds of identity \u2013 to attend to the affective side of revitalizing languages as much as the technical.\u00a0 As Krashen (1982: 30) pointed out,\u00a0 students are more likely to learn a target language if they are provided with comprehensible input in a \u201clow anxiety situation.\u201d\u00a0Dauenhauer and Dauenhauer (2004) also emphasize that the emotional aspects surrounding attempts to revitalize endangered languages must be attended to if such attempts are to succeed. That is, \u201c[s]omewhere, people need to find a safe place for language in daily life, a place where it isn\u2019t always being bombarded, a place where it can expand and grow\u201d (Ibid: 97).<\/p>\n
I suggest that use of songs for teaching Basque can facilitate the creation of such a safe space.\u00a0 A looser grip on grammar, rules, and \u201ccorrectness\u201d would benefit efforts to revitalization of Basque and encourage its use. I hope this paper has provided useful, concrete ways to bring some fun into learning Basque, at least among English-speaking students.<\/p>\n
Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n
G. Aulestia, Basque-English dictionary<\/em>, University of Nevada Press, Reno and Las Vegas (1989).<\/p>\n
N. Dauenhauer and R. Dauenhauer, Technical, emotional and ideological issues in reversing language shift:\u00a0 Examples from Southeast Alaska, In L. Grenoble and L. Whaley (Eds.), Endangered languages:\u00a0 Language loss and community response,<\/em> Cambridge University Press, (1998), pp. 57-98.<\/p>\n
\u00a0B. Echeverria, “Schooling, language and ethnic identity in the Basque Autonomous Community.” Anthropology & Education Quarterly <\/em>34 (4):\u00a0 351-372.<\/p>\n
P. Eckert. Diglossia: Separate but unequal. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development<\/em> (1983), pp. 289-300.<\/p>\n
S. Gal, Language shift:\u00a0 Social determinants of linguistic change in bilingual Austria, Academic Press<\/em>, New York, (1979).<\/p>\n
W. Jansen.\u00a0 Beginner\u2019s Basque with 2 audio CDs<\/em>,\u00a0 Hippocrene Books, Inc., New York, (2002).<\/p>\n
A. King. The Basque language: A practical introduction<\/em>. University of Nevada Press, Reno, Las Vegas & London, (1994).<\/p>\n
L. Milroy. Language and social networks<\/em>, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, (1987).<\/p>\n
R. L. Trask, The history of Basque.<\/em> London and New York, Routledge, (1997).<\/p>\n
J. Urla,\u00a0 Reclaiming Basque: Language, nation and cultural activism<\/em>.\u00a0 University of Nevada Press: Reno and Las Vegas, (2013).<\/p>\n
L. Wong, Authenticity and the revitalization of Hawaiian. Anthropology & Education Quarterly <\/em>(1999), 30, 94-115.<\/p>\n
Endnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n
1: I do not know the exact provenance of the tune to which I wrote these lyrics, but it is based on a song about longitude and latitude that I heard at a planetarium during a 3rd<\/sup> grade fieldtrip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this guest article, Professor\u00a0Bego\u00f1a Echeverria, a professor of education at the University of California, Riverside, describes how she uses songs to teach basic concepts of the Basque language to adults, focusing not on grammatical aspects, but rather conversation. Eskerrik asko,\u00a0Bego\u00f1a! Basque-ing in play: Using song to teach Basque in the American diaspora Bego\u00f1a Echeverria […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14,6,19],"tags":[779,780,38,781,782],"class_list":["post-1113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-euskara","category-music","category-people","tag-basque-ing-in-play","tag-begona-echeverria","tag-euskara","tag-euskera","tag-learning-basque"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2sYNu-hX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1113\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}