Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby linguoboy » 2012-12-29, 1:03

johnklepac wrote:My understanding is that Batua is a sort of Swahili amongst Basque dialect speakers, though East Africa obviously has many more people than Basque Spain and France. Nevertheless, Batua, like Swahili, appears to be used disproportionately widely considering how few native speakers it boasts.

That's not actually the case. Swahili evolved as a lingua franca over centuries; Euskara Batua was created by Euskaltzaindia (the Basque language academy) in the 60s as an artificial koiné. It doesn't really have native speakers, unless you count those few families where the parents learned Basque in school (where Euskara Batua is taught) and are passing it on to their children.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

User avatar
Lur
Posts:3072
Joined:2012-04-15, 23:22
Location:Madrid
Country:ESSpain (España)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Lur » 2012-12-29, 19:56

My first reaction to this is "no, Basque does not sound like Spanish, Asturleonese and Aragonese do", and my mind goes through a list of the things in Basque that aren't in Spanish and the other way around. :lol:

Because other than intonation... which I wouldn't know if it was originally Basque, or Hispano-Latin, or what... what did Basque sound like 2000 years ago? How do we know if it had different vowels, or different l, or different r, or etc? The sounds common to both are so common among languages that it's hard to know what influenced what and if Basque was actually different in some of these sounds in the first place. (Which in a way it was, and still is.) And those that are common to both might just have present in Basque just as well, given that they're so common.

Basque phonotactics have nothing to do with Castilian, at all.

And if we compare Basque with Castilian dialects further away from Basque speaking area the answer becomes an even more resounding no.
Geurea dena lapurtzen uzteagatik, geure izaerari uko egiteagatik.

IpseDixit

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby IpseDixit » 2013-11-01, 9:52

Chekhov wrote:Why does Korean sound like Japanese? Why does Hungarian sound like Turkish? Why does Modern Hebrew sound like German?



I know this post is 2 years old but... seriously??

User avatar
mōdgethanc
Posts:10890
Joined:2010-03-20, 5:27
Gender:male
Location:Toronto
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby mōdgethanc » 2013-11-01, 17:18

IpseDixit wrote:I know this post is 2 years old but... seriously??
How well do you think someone who hasn't been exposed to any of those six languages would be able to tell them apart? We ULers tend to be rather parochial in our belief that everyone else can recognize languages as easily as we can.

By the way, lots of people seem to think Italian sounds like Spanish. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
[ˈmoːdjeðɑŋk]

IpseDixit

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby IpseDixit » 2013-11-01, 23:56

mōdgethanc wrote:
IpseDixit wrote:I know this post is 2 years old but... seriously??
How well do you think someone who hasn't been exposed to any of those six languages would be able to tell them apart? We ULers tend to be rather parochial in our belief that everyone else can recognize languages as easily as we can.


Never studied Korean, Japanese, Turkish and Hungarian but to me they do not sound similar at all.

By the way, lots of people seem to think Italian sounds like Spanish. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.


Oh thanks... I've never heard of that. How lucky I am to have you who enlighten me on such things ;)

Here many people seem to think that American/Canadian English and a cat meowing sound similar.

User avatar
mōdgethanc
Posts:10890
Joined:2010-03-20, 5:27
Gender:male
Location:Toronto
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby mōdgethanc » 2013-11-02, 4:15

IpseDixit wrote:Never studied Korean, Japanese, Turkish and Hungarian but to me they do not sound similar at all.
Doesn't matter; you're still one of Us. To most people, foreign languages they haven't been exposed to before are just meaningless blather, so why would they pay attention to what they sound like? Surely you acknowledge it's at least plausible that someone might think Hungarian sounds like Turkish given that they have most of the same consonants and similar vowel systems. Hell, they even both have vowel harmony!
Here many people seem to think that American/Canadian English
do in fact sound quite a lot alike, since they have very similar phonologies.
and a cat meowing sound similar.
Either name six, or quit being a pedant.
[ˈmoːdjeðɑŋk]

IpseDixit

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby IpseDixit » 2013-11-02, 13:09

mōdgethanc wrote:or quit being a pedant.


Said by you is kinda ironical.

User avatar
nailgun
Posts:23
Joined:2012-08-09, 21:51
Real Name:Seonaidh Morton
Location:Markinch
Country:FJFiji (Viti / Fiji)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby nailgun » 2013-12-28, 0:01

I have not heard a lot of Basque spoken. I've seen various "pronunciation rules" and they tend to suggest a vaguely Castilian flavour, e.g. only 5 distinct vowel sounds, tendency to soften voiced stops and so forth

However, I was privileged to hear a wee bit of spoken Basque at a conference this last summer in Austwick Big Barn, or Sabhal Mòr Ostaig as it's usually kent. Bearing in mind I was spending most of the time listening to things in Gaelic and Welsh, when the chappie from Donostia got up and gave us a bit of Basque, while I didn't understand a word of it, it did strike me as sounding remarkably like English.

Whether this is really the case or not I don't know and, from what I've read about Basque, I find it unlikely. On the other hand, for those of you whose first language is not English, what languages would you consider to sound like English (whether they're actually related to it or not)?

arabarra
Posts:509
Joined:2007-06-08, 14:16
Gender:male
Location:Basel
Country:CHSwitzerland (Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera / Svizra)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby arabarra » 2013-12-29, 12:05

what languages would you consider to sound like English


Hard to say, but I'm really surprised that you find a phonetic similarity between English and Basque... are you sure that the Donostia lad wasn't some welsh native drunkard giving you some self made, gibberish Basque?

User avatar
Levike
Posts:6153
Joined:2013-04-22, 19:26
Real Name:Levi
Gender:male
Location:Budapest
Country:HUHungary (Magyarország)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Levike » 2013-12-29, 13:14

To me Dutch and Irish sound extremely English.

User avatar
Lur
Posts:3072
Joined:2012-04-15, 23:22
Location:Madrid
Country:ESSpain (España)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Lur » 2013-12-30, 0:01

arabarra wrote:
what languages would you consider to sound like English


Hard to say, but I'm really surprised that you find a phonetic similarity between English and Basque... are you sure that the Donostia lad wasn't some welsh native drunkard giving you some self made, gibberish Basque?

I find that extremely weird as well.
Geurea dena lapurtzen uzteagatik, geure izaerari uko egiteagatik.

User avatar
Lur
Posts:3072
Joined:2012-04-15, 23:22
Location:Madrid
Country:ESSpain (España)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Lur » 2013-12-30, 0:09

Levente wrote:To me Dutch and Irish sound extremely English.

In the case of the modern Goidelic languages that's why I lean more towards Scottish Gaelic. I have no idea which one would be actually easier for me to pronounce, but Scottish Gaelic sounds easier to my ears. But I need to know more about them.
Geurea dena lapurtzen uzteagatik, geure izaerari uko egiteagatik.

User avatar
Prosper_Youplaboum
Posts:263
Joined:2010-12-21, 19:33
Gender:male
Country:BEBelgium (België / Belgique)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Prosper_Youplaboum » 2014-01-02, 13:07

To me Dutch and Irish sound extremely English.


Native Irish doesn't sound like English at all. You probably heard people who weren't native speakers!
Same thing concerning Basque: have a look at a few Basque videos on Youtube and you'll hear that it has nothing in common with English :)
Agur Xibe’ua,
Bazter güzietako xokho’ik eijerrena,
Agur sor lekhia,
Zu’i ditit ene ametsik goxuenak.

User avatar
Levike
Posts:6153
Joined:2013-04-22, 19:26
Real Name:Levi
Gender:male
Location:Budapest
Country:HUHungary (Magyarország)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Levike » 2014-01-02, 16:32

Prosper_Youplaboum wrote:
To me Dutch and Irish sound extremely English.
Native Irish doesn't sound like English at all. You probably heard people who weren't native speakers!

I looked at some videos on YouTube taken from news and other TV programs.
I also looked at a short documentary about Irish where they were discussing with a native speaker.
And to me it still sounds like mumbled English.

User avatar
Lur
Posts:3072
Joined:2012-04-15, 23:22
Location:Madrid
Country:ESSpain (España)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Lur » 2014-01-03, 14:32

I'd like to hear a recording of older forms of Irish.
Geurea dena lapurtzen uzteagatik, geure izaerari uko egiteagatik.

Ciarán12

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Ciarán12 » 2014-07-10, 22:43

Levike wrote:I looked at some videos on YouTube taken from news and other TV programs.
I also looked at a short documentary about Irish where they were discussing with a native speaker.
And to me it still sounds like mumbled English.


Lur wrote:I'd like to hear a recording of older forms of Irish.


The two men talking in this video are about as native and un-English sounding as I'v ever heard, so if this doesn't change your mind then nothing will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCc512UCmtE

arabarra
Posts:509
Joined:2007-06-08, 14:16
Gender:male
Location:Basel
Country:CHSwitzerland (Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera / Svizra)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby arabarra » 2014-07-13, 23:47

Well, the video is compelling evidence: it does not sound anything like English!

User avatar
Levike
Posts:6153
Joined:2013-04-22, 19:26
Real Name:Levi
Gender:male
Location:Budapest
Country:HUHungary (Magyarország)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Levike » 2014-07-14, 0:38

1. It's very subjective.

2. To me it still sounds somewhat English-ish.

Apart from this I also always get the impression
that Greek sounds like Spanish and Bulgarian sounds like Romanian.

User avatar
Lauren
Posts:3581
Joined:2012-04-09, 7:50
Real Name:Lauren
Gender:female
Location:Seattle, WA
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby Lauren » 2014-07-14, 2:44

I think that video sounds nothing like English (unlike the tainted Irish of many speakers today), but then again I'm a native speaker of English and am very used to hearing it, so maybe our perceptions are different.

But I do also think that Modern Greek sounds a lot like Spanish. I like Greek, but not the sound of it. :hmm:
Native:            (en-US)
Advanced:       (eu)
Just started:    (cs)
Trans woman  Image

User avatar
mōdgethanc
Posts:10890
Joined:2010-03-20, 5:27
Gender:male
Location:Toronto
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Re: Why does Basque sound like Spanish?

Postby mōdgethanc » 2014-07-14, 2:47

Lowena wrote:I think that video sounds nothing like English (unlike the tainted Irish of many speakers today), but then again I'm a native speaker of English and am very used to hearing it, so maybe our perceptions are different.
Just as an aside, how is it any more tainted than English?
[ˈmoːdjeðɑŋk]


Return to “Basque (Euskara)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests