Basque alphabet facts for kids
The Basque alphabet is a special set of letters used to write the Basque language. This unique language is spoken by people in a region between France and Spain, known as the Basque Country. The Basque alphabet uses the Latin letters that you might already know, but it has its own rules and a total of 27 letters.
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What is the Basque Language?
The Basque language, called Euskara by its speakers, is one of the oldest languages in Europe. It's quite different from most other European languages, like Spanish or French, which belong to the Indo-European family. Basque is a "language isolate," meaning it doesn't seem to be related to any other known language family. This makes it very special and interesting!
Letters of the Basque Alphabet
The Basque alphabet has 27 letters. Most of these letters are used to write words that are originally Basque. However, some letters are mainly used for words that come from other languages, like names of people or places from outside the Basque Country.
Here is a list of the letters in the Basque alphabet, along with how their names are said and their usual sounds:
| Letter | Basque name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | /a/ |
| B | be | /b/ |
| C | ze* (and its variant Ç ze hautsia*) | /s/, /k/ |
| D | de | /d/, /d̪/, /ð/ |
| E | e | /e/ |
| F | efe | /f/ |
| G | ge | /g/, /ɣ/ |
| H | hatxe | ∅, /h/ |
| I | i | /i/, /i̭/ |
| J | jota | /j/, /x/, /ʝ/, /ɟ/ |
| K | ka | /k/ |
| L | ele | /l/ |
| M | eme | /m/ |
| N | ene | /n/ |
| Ñ | eñe | /ɲ/ |
| O | o | /o/ |
| P | pe | /p/ |
| Q | ku* | /k/ |
| R | erre | /r/, /ɾ/ |
| S | ese | /s̺/ |
| T | te | /t/, /t̪/ |
| U | u | /u/, /u̯/ |
| V | uve* | /b/, /β/ |
| W | uve bikoitza* | /u̯/ |
| X | ixa | /ʃ/ |
| Y | i grekoa* | /i/, /i̭/ |
| Z | zeta | /s̻/ |
| * The letters C, Ç, Q, V, W, and Y are mostly used when writing words that come from other languages, not for traditional Basque words. | ||
Letters for Foreign Words
You might have noticed that some letters in the table have an asterisk (*) next to their Basque names. These letters are C, Ç, Q, V, W, and Y. They are part of the Basque alphabet, but they are not typically used to write words that are originally Basque. Instead, they are used when writing words borrowed from other languages. For example, if a Basque text mentions a city like "New York," the "Y" would be used, even though "Y" isn't found in native Basque words. This helps the alphabet be useful for all kinds of writing.
See also
In Spanish: Alfabeto vasco para niños
