Resurrección María de Azkue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Resurrección María de Azkue
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| Born | 5 August 1864 Lekeitio, Biscay, Spanish Basque Country |
| Died | 9 November 1951 (aged 87) Bilbao, Biscay, Spanish Basque Country |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Notable works | Diccionario Vasco-Español-Francés Euskal Izkindea-Gramática Euskara morfología Vasca |
Resurrección María de Azkue (born August 5, 1864 – died November 9, 1951) was an important Basque priest, musician, poet, writer, and scholar. He helped a lot with studying the Basque language. He was also the first leader of the Euskaltzaindia, which is like the official academy for the Basque language.
Even though some people had small criticisms about his work, he is still seen as one of the most important experts on the Basque language ever. His full name was Resurrección de Jesús María de las Nieves Azkue Aberásturi. But most people knew him as Resurrección María de Azkue, R. M. Azkue, or just Azkue.
Contents
Azkue's Early Life and Education
Azkue was born in Lekeitio, a town in Biscay, Spain. He grew up speaking Basque, as it was his first language. His father, Eusebio María de los Dolores Azkue Barrundia, was also a poet from Lekeitio. His mother was María del Carmen Aberásturi.
First, Azkue studied about sailing in Lekeitio. Then, he moved to Bilbao to get his high school degree. After that, he went to Vitoria and the University of Salamanca to study theology and philosophy. He became a priest in 1888.
That same year, the local government of Biscay looked for new teachers for Basque Studies. Azkue, along with other famous people like Sabino Arana and Miguel de Unamuno, applied. Azkue got the job. He started many projects to help with Basque spelling and teaching. He also launched two magazines, Euskalzale and Ibaizabal.
Azkue's Role in Basque Culture
Azkue believed strongly in Basque culture and identity. He was known as a Basque patriot, meaning he loved his homeland. He knew important nationalist figures like Sabino Arana. However, Azkue often disagreed with them, especially about language rules.
He cared more about the Basque language and culture than about politics. He tried to stay out of political arguments. For many years, there were two main groups of Basque writers. One group followed Azkue's ideas, and they were called Azkuezaleak. The other group followed Arana's ideas, called Aranazaleak. Over time, Arana's strict ideas became less popular.
In 1904, Azkue left Bilbao to travel around Europe for five years. He spent time in Tours, Brussels, and Cologne. There, he finished his music studies. When he came back to Bilbao in 1909, he continued his academic work. He wrote books like Ortzuri (1911) and Urlo (1914). These works helped the academic study of Basque grow.
He was a key supporter of creating the Euskaltzaindia, the Academy of the Basque Language. This academy was started in 1919. Azkue became its first leader.
Leading the Basque Language Academy
In 1920, Azkue left his teaching job to focus completely on the Euskaltzaindia. He worked hard to set rules for the Basque language and promote it. He faced a lot of opposition from officials and from the Arana group.
During this time, he wrote important works. These include 'Morfología Vasca', which studied how Basque words are formed. He also collected Basque folk songs in Cancionero Popular Vasco. Azkue also created the Erizkizundi Irukoitza (Triple Questionnaire). This was a big tool to gather information about Basque words, grammar, and pronunciation from people who spoke the language.
In 1935, he published Euskaleŕiaren Yakintza. This was a four-volume collection of traditional Basque stories and knowledge. He also pushed for the Gipuzkera Osatua project, which aimed to standardize a Basque dialect.
During the Spanish Civil War, the Euskaltzaindia was ordered to close. Azkue was able to stay in the country because he was old and not a major political figure. He managed to reopen the Euskaltzaindia in 1941. He got help from a young scholar named Federico Krutwig. Azkue passed away in 1951. This happened shortly after he accidentally fell into the Ibaizabal river in Bilbao.
Azkue's Important Studies
Azkue spent most of his life studying the Basque language. His writings are still a major source of information for anyone working with Basque today. Most of his work focused on dictionaries, grammar, and folk literature. Here are some of his most important works:
- Euskal Izkindea-Gramática Euskara (1891): This was a study about Basque verbs. Later, Azkue felt this book was too focused on an "ideal" Basque language. Even though Azkue changed his approach, this book inspired others to seek a "pure" Basque.
- Diccionario Vasco-Español-Francés (Basque-Spanish-French dictionary) (1905): This is the work Azkue is most famous for today. It lists Basque words from all dialects without changing them. It's a key source for studying different Basque dialects. Azkue gathered this information from old books and his own research. It has been printed many times.
- Diccionario de Bolsillo Vasco-Español y Español-Vasco (1918): A smaller, pocket-sized Spanish-Basque dictionary.
- Cancionero Popular Vasco (1918–1921): A large collection of Basque music and songs.
- Morfología Vasca (1923): A study about Basque suffixes (word endings). This book is still a major source of information. It includes word forms and features that are no longer used today.
- Euskaleŕiaren Yakintza (the knowledge of the Basque Country) (1935–1947): A huge collection of traditional Basque stories, beliefs, and wisdom.
- Gipuzkera osotua (1935): Azkue's notes on a standardized form of the Gipuzkoan dialect.
Together, Euskaleŕiaren Yakintza and Cancionero form a huge collection of Basque folklore. They include songs, poems, children's games, tongue twisters, customs, beliefs, and over 2,900 proverbs. Azkue also updated the way Basque dialects were classified. He changed the original eight dialects into seven.
Helping Create Standard Basque
When people tried to create a standard written form for the Basque language, Azkue supported Gipuzkera Osotua. This means 'Completed Gipuzkoan'. It was a set of rules for the Gipuzkoan dialect. This was because most Basque speakers lived in Biscay and Gipuzkoa at that time.
Azkue wrote his novels, like Ardi Galdua (the lost sheep), using Gipuzkera Osotua. His work greatly influenced the later creation of Standard Basque, which is known as Batua.
See also
In Spanish: Resurrección María de Azkue para niños
