<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 24 May 2008 - Volume 01<br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">
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<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">Mark Dreyer</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:mrdreyer@lantic.net">mrdreyer@lantic.net</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Anthropology" 2008.05.23 (06) [E]</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="1f4c" class="ArwC7c ckChnd">
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<div><font color="#00681c">Dear Mike & Ron</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Subject: LL-L
"Anthropology"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Mike said:</div>
<div>Ron, just to let you
know that there are at least 2 Lowlanders; Mark and
myself absolutely FASCINATED by this. I cannot wait for your (or someone else's)
answer and a possible ensuing discussion.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Seconded: Mark</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Isn't it just like our Ron? He sadly confesses he has
nothing more than the fruit of general reading on any given subject (I'm afraid
of testing his limits) then proceeds to give you chapter & verse on the
subject.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>For my part all I can add is that the most recent MDNA
& XYchromosome typology tracing only goes to support the blood-typing
research of the previous generation & <b>venerable</b> report from
the remote past that the Basques are a unique people.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>By the way, Ron isn't the word 'Gascon' related to the
word 'Bascone' through the Latin 'Vascones'? Could the Gascons be
a Romance-assimilated arm of the same nation?</div>
<div><br>Ron:</div>
<div>Genetic research has
shown that there are indeed some genetic "Basque features," namely the highest
global incidence level of <i>Rh-</i> blood type and virtually no
<i>B</i> blood type. This is believed to
be a result of early isolation. However, DNA research shows that the Basque are
otherwise "typical" for West Europeans.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It seems to me, Ron,
on the basis of this point that our Basques are an isolated sample of the
foundation population of Europe, subsequently enriched in the more accessible
areas by later invasions</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ron:</div>
<div>Looking at the case
of Basque and at the cases of various other documented peoples and languages of
Iberia, I wish we had similar indications of what people and languages there
used to be in Northern Europe before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans. All we
find are bits of tools and pottery as well as stone monuments and the widespread
dolmens.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Hear,
hear!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Yrs,</div>
<div>Mark</div></div>
</div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span><a style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: Anthropology<br><br>Thanks, Mark, as always, and hi to that Ruth of yours, as always!<br><br>I'm not sure if the names "Basque" (Spanish <i>vasco</i>) and "Gascon(e)" are related, but I consider it likely, going back to what in Modern Basque is the root <i>Euska-</i>, which may have begun with a consonant in earlier times, perhaps with something like *<i>gw-</i> (*<i>gwaska- > </i>*<i>γ</i><i>waska-</i><i> > </i>*<i>γ</i><i>oska-</i><i> > </i>*<i>ə</i><i>oska-</i><i> > </i>*<i>ə</i><i>uska-</i><i> > </i><i>e</i><i>uska-</i>), similar to what happened in the case of Celts: "Gaelic", "Wales", "Welsh", <i>waals</i>, etc.<br>
<br>And, yes, Gascony (in France) used to be primarily Basque speaking, and its present Romance language varieties have unmistakable Basque substrata. There are no debates about that. There are still Basque speakers in Gascony, and some of them are pretty actively carrying on the traditions and the language despite France's usually less than supportive attitude when it comes to linguistic diversity.<br>
<br>The Gascon city of Biarritz (Basque </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Biarritz</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ~ </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Miarritze</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">) absorbed early Scandinavian settlers (apparently not limited to Goths), although it has been said, disputably so, that these were shunned as the said </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Agots</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ~ </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Cagot</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">. At any rate, whaling became big in Biarritz soon thereafter.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br>Yes, of course the Basques and their languages are unique (beyond the fact that <i>all</i> peoples and their languages are unique)! They have long been considered a great mystery and have inspired all manner of romantic and exotic hypotheses with links on all continents. It's easy to get carried away with that, so we must be careful.<br>
<br>As for the Basque welcoming song <i>Agur Jaunak</i> I shared, I consider it a suitable "anthem" for linguistic and cultural diversity and for minorities in general, and I mean this globally, not limited to the Lowlands.<br>
<br>Regards and <i>Kumpelmenten</i>!<br><br>Reinhard/Ron<br><br>P.S.: About ten minutes ago I just found that I've become a great-uncle. That and a few pictures is all I know so far ... I owe a few people some spanking for their secrecy.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">