Koldo Zuazo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Koldo Zuazo
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Zuazo in 2011
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| Born | 1956 (age 68–69) |
Koldo Zuazo, born in 1956, is a smart person who studies languages. He is a professor at the University of the Basque Country. He is an expert in Basque language dialects and how language is used in society.
Different Ways of Speaking Basque
Since 1998, Koldo Zuazo has done amazing work on Basque dialects. He created a new way to group and map these different ways of speaking. This was a big change! Before him, not much had changed since Louis Lucien Bonaparte's maps from 1863.
Mr. Zuazo believes that Basque dialects started in cities and towns. These places were like centers for new language ideas. He thinks the dialects began in these areas:
- Iruña
- Gasteiz
- Central Biscay (Durango-Zornotza-Gernika-Bermeo)
- Beterri in Gipuzkoa (Donostia-Hernani-Andoain-Tolosa)
- Coastal Lapurdi
- The start of the Eastern dialect is not clear. Zuazo thinks it might have happened in Bearn or Huesca.
Zuazo noticed that all Basque dialects were influenced by Latin in similar ways. Because of this, he believes all the dialects started after Roman times. This idea matches what another expert, Mitxelena, thought earlier.
Zuazo also thinks that the Western dialect began in Araba. He believes this because the dialects in Biscay, western Navarre, the Deba valley, and Goierri are very similar.
Other Cool Projects
Koldo Zuazo has also created a helpful website called Euskalkiak. This website was launched in 2015 with help from the University of the Basque Country. It shares information about the standard Basque language and its many local dialects. The website uses both text and media like videos or audio to explain things.
See also
In Spanish: Koldo Zuazo para niños
