Pre-Basque Phonology

[Larry Trask]

On Mon, 4 Oct 1999, Roslyn M. Frank wrote:

[on Basque <maite(a)>] `(my) beloved']

> Let us agree to disagree about which form is the common used as a
> form of address, one with a "definite article" or one without.
> Clearly we have have different views about this situation as was
> demonstrated in the case of our earlier discussion on whether
> <beltz> was a proper nickname for a bear, rather than <beltza>. From
> your previous comments, you do not wish to concede that in such
> circumstance the <mugagabe> unsuffixed form is often used.

Aw, c'mon, Roz.  Not only have I never said any such thing, I said
precisely the opposite in a posting a couple of weeks ago.

As I've pointed out before, the use or non-use of the Basque article
with names and in vocatives is subject to complex rules which I don't
pretend to understand.  However, in the case of <maite> as a vocative,
the use of the suffixed form <maitea> is, in my experience, *far*
commoner than the use of <maite> alone.  As it happens, <maitea> is the
form I hear constantly in the Basque Country, among Basques in England,
and even in recorded songs.

> Contrarily, there is no question, as I believe I've said before,
> that when translating from French of Spanish Basque speakers will
> add the "definite article" to what is the unsuffixed form of the
> word in the Romance languages. But that is a different case. In the
> case of nicknames there are circumstances in which the suffixed form
> is common and there are also many cases where both forms can be
> encountered.

Yes; I agree with this entirely, though I don't pretend to know what the
rules are.

> I think part of our disagreement might be caused by the existence of
> two slightly different definitions of what is meant by the words
> "the common way of addressing someone." If one calls out to another
> and addresses the person with a nickname, that word will not
> necessarily take what is called the "definite article." I think you
> may have cited a couple examples of this yourself. The problem is
> complicated further by the fact that the "distal demonstrative" in
> Euskera has been appropriated as a "definite article" but that role
> is still not identical to that of a "definite article" in a language
> such as Spanish or English where, conceptually, there *are* definite
> and indefinite articles.

Largely agreed.  The Basque article derives historically from the distal
demonstrative, but is no longer identical with it, especially since, in
most varieties, the old distal demonstrative *<(h)ar> has been displaced
by the innovating absolutive <(h)ura>, leaving <-a> somewhat isolated as
the article.  (Bizkaian is an exception here, of course.)

And I agree that the label `definite article' is not really appropriate
for the Basque article, since its functions are wider than this name
suggests.  I've occasionally tried to promote another name, `ordinary
article', but my colleagues seem to have little enthusiasm for this.

> If, on the other hand, one writes a letter, there is clearly the
> option of using the "definite article" along with their "nickname"
> when "addressing" the person.

> Then there are many examples of the numens who populate Basque
> folklore and mythology. The (nick)names of many of these beings,
> e.g., Praka Gorri "Red Pants", appear without the definite article.
> However, I might refer to this same character, when writing in
> Euskera, in a given sentence as Praka Gorria. But when I do, I've
> changed the status of his (nick)name to something like "The One with
> Red Pants." It can be done, the "definite article" can be added, but
> when it is the name takes on a different nuance of meaning.

Agreed.

> In summary, I don't think one can come up with a hard and fast rule that
> covers all the individual cases.

I certainly agree.

> And when one turns to the so-called proper names the waters become
> even muddier. So, let's just agree to disagree on this particular
> point.

Sure, Roz -- but what exactly are we disagreeing about?

Larry Trask
COGS
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

larryt at cogs.susx.ac.uk