List of Spanish words of Basque origin

This is a list of Spanish words which are considered to be of Basque origin. Some of these words existed in Latin as loanwords from other languages. Some of these words have alternate etymologies and may also appear on a list of Spanish words from a different language.

List

*abarca "sandal" (cf. Basque ''abarka'' < ''abar'' "branch", because they were originally made of branches). The word was loaned in Mozarabic and even in Arab ''pargha''/''bargha'' and from here to Spanish ''alpargata'' (Trask 2008, 74).
*abertzale / aberzale "Basque patriot, Basque nationalist" (cf. Basque ''abertzale''). Recent loanword as it is a Basque neologism from the 19th century.
*agur "goodbye" (from Basque ''agur'' with the same meaning) (DRAE).
*aizcolari (cf. Basque ''aizkolari''). Recent loanword.
*alud "avalanche (of snow)", from Basque ''elurte'' or ''uholde'', ''olde'' "flood; avalanche" ( Joan Corominas; DRAE); ''elurte'' is a blend of ''elur'' "snow" and ''lurte'' "landslide" (see ''lurte'' below).
*angula " elver (juvenile eel)", from Basque ''angula'', from Lat ''anguilla'' "eel" (DRAE)
*aquelarre "witche's sabbath" (cf. Basque '' akelarre'' "goat field", fr. ''larre'' "field" and ''aker'' "billy goat")
*ardite "money of little value", fr. Basque dial. (Zuberoa) ''ardít'' "farthing", fr. Gascon ''(h)ardit'', fr. English ''farthing'' (Monlau, Coromines).
*ascua "embers" (cf. Basque ''askuo, askua'', fr. ''hauts'' "cinder")
*azcona "dart" (cf. Basque ''azkon'' "dart, javelin") (DRAE)
*barranco "ravine, deep gorge" (also Catalan ''barranc'' "cavity carved into rock by flowing water", Gascon/Occitan ''barenc'' "chasm"), from Basque ''barneko'', ''barrenko'' "deep down, deep inside", from ''barren'', ''barne'' "bottom, inside (noun)", superlatives of ''barru'' "inside, interior" (adj.).
*batúa (modern loanword from Basque)
*becerro "yearling calf", fr OSp ''bezerro'' "bullock" (cf. Basque ''bet-'' "cow" (combining form of ''behi'') + -''irru''). Alternatively, Coromines (BDELC, 71) has OSp ''bezerro'' from *''ibicirru'', fr ''ibex'', ''ibicis'' "mountain goat", although this is semantically and phonetically dubious (compare ''rebeco'' below).
*boina "beret" . Modern (19th century) loanword from Basque. For the Basque word Coromines and Pascual (Trask 2008, 146) propose it came from Romance, from LL ''abonnis'', ''obbonis'' "bandana, cap", supposedly from Gothic *''obbundi'', compound of *''obe'' "above" and *''bundi'' (cf. Old Saxon ''gibund'' "bundle").
*bruces, caer de "headlong, to fall". Uncertain. According to Coromines the original was "de buzos" / "de buces", which may be related with "bozo" (cf. "bozal"), which may come from Lat. ''bocca'' (through an hypothetical Romance *''bucciu'').
*cachorro "puppy" (metathesis of *chacorro < Basque ''txakur'' "whelp"); also Southern Corsican ''ghjacaru'' ‘dog’, Sardinian ''giagaru'' ‘dog, hound’. Ousted now dialectal (rural Huesca) ''cadillo'' 'puppy', but in standard Spanish only having the sense of "bur-parsley".
* calimotxo "a type of punch (drink)". Recent loanword
*carrasca "kermes oak" (also Gascon ''charrascle'', ''charruscle'' "thunderclap", ''charrasclino'' "rattle"), from Basque ''karraska'' "thunder, crash of falling tree" (BDELC).
*carpetovetónico. Adj. usually despective "terribly Spanish against any non core Spanish influence". Modern derivation from the name of the pre-Roman tribes ''carpetani'' and '' vetones''.
*cencerro "cowbell" (cf. Basque ''zintzarri'', ''zintzerri'' "cowbell, sheep bell")
*chabola "shack" (cf. Basque ''txabola'' < Occitan ''gabiòla''; DRAE)
*chacolí, type of basque wine. Recent loanword
*chamorro "close-cropped" (cf. Basque ''txamorro'' "grub, subterranean bug or worm" or ''samur'', ''xamur'' "tender, delicate")
*chaparro "dwarf oak" (cf. Basque ''txapar'')
*chaparrón. (Probably neither a pre-Roman word, nor a Basque loanword, but according to the DRAE it is an onomatopoeia; while Coromines believes that even Basque ''zaparr'' is an onomatopoeia).
*chapela, type of basque cap. Recent loanword (The Basque word is of Romance origin from Med. Latin ''capella'').
*charro "crude", charrán "rogue, scamp" (cf. Basque ''txar'' "bad, faulty"; also Gascon ''charre'' "ignorant, naughty")
*chasco "trick, prank, deception". Dubious. Coromines concludes that it is an onomatopoeia.
*chatarra "scrap iron" (cf. Basque ''txatarra'' "the old one")
*chirimbolo "circular slice" (cf. Basque ''txirimbol'')
*chirimiri "drizzle", from Basque ''zirimiri''.
*chistera "top hat", from Basque ''txistera'', from Latin ''cistella'' "little basket, fish basket".
*chorro "jet, stream, gushing" (also Portuguese ''jorro'', Old Gascon ''chourre'' "fountain"), from Basque ''txurru'' "torrent, waterway"
*churre "thick grease" (cf. Basque ''txur'' "miserly, economical")
*cococha "cod's chin" (Basque ''kokotxa'')
*conejo "rabbit", from Lat ''cuniculus'', from Proto-Basque *''(H)unči'' (modern ''untxi''); alternatively, from Hispano-Celtic *''cun-icos'' 'little dog'
*ertzaina, "basque policeman", ertzaintza, "basque police". Recent loanwords.
*farra "loud party" (also Catalan ''parranda'') (cf. Basque ''farra'', ''farre'' ~ ''parra'', ''parre'' "laugh") (BDELC).
*gabarra (cf. Basque ''kabarra'', fr. Latin ''carabus'', fr. Gk ''kárabos'')
*gamarra "halter" (from Basque ''gamarra'')
*ganzúa "lockpick" (Basque ''gantzua'')
*garrapata "tick" (cf. Basque ''gapar, kapar'' "furze, gorse"); also Gascon ''gaparra'' "furze/gorse grove", Catalan ''paparra'' "tick, lice; licebane, stavesacre (plant)", Portuguese ''carrapato'' "tick", Aragonese ''caparra'' "tick"
*guijarro "pebble" (perhaps Basque ''gisuarri'' "limestone"). Or rather a tautological compound made of Sp ''guija'' "pebble, small stone" + Basque ''arri'' "pebble, stone", from Old Spanish (1495) ''aguija'', from Latin (petra) ''aquīlea'', fem. of ''aquileus'', also seen in ''aguijada'' "goad" < *''aquīleāta'') (Corominas, DLAE).
*ikastola, "Basque language school". Recent loanword
*izquierdo, -a "left" (cf. Basque ''ezkerda'' "the left (one, side)", fr ''ezker'' "left"; also Portuguese ''esquerdo'', Catalan ''esquerre''). Ousted Old Spanish ''siniestro'' (also Old Portuguese ''sẽestro''), from Latin ''sinister''.
*jorguín "sorcerer" (from Basque ''sorgin'' "witch")
*laya "spade" (from Basque ''laia'')
*legaña "bleariness in eyes, bloodshot", fr OSp ''lagaña'' (cf. Basque ''lakaiña'' "cord, roughness, knob on a tree", formerly "strand")
*lurte "avalanche" (Huesca dialect, from Aragonese ''lurte'', from Basque ''lurte'' "landslide", from ''lur'' "earth").
*madroño "strawberry tree" (also Aragonese ''martuel'', Catalan ''maduixa''), from Basque ''mart''-, as in ''martotx'' "bramble", ''martsuka'' ~ ''martuts'' ~ ''martuza'' "blackberry". For similar development, compare Galician ''amorogo'', Portuguese ''morango'' "strawberry", both from ''amora'' "blackberry; bramble". Ousted dialectal ''(a)borto'', from OSp ''alborço'', from Lat ''arbuteus''
*mochil, -a (from Basque ''mutxil'', diminutive of ''mutil'' "boy")
*mogote "isolated mound" (cf. Basque ''mokor'' "mound", ''moko'' "beak, point")
*moño "bun, topknot", muñón "stump", muñeca "wrist", all from *mūnn- "lump, bump" (cf. Basqe ''mun'', ''munho'' "hill; breast")
*morena "stack of harvested grain" (cf. Basque ''muru'' "heap")
*muérdago "mistletoe", fr. OSp ''mordago'' (10th century), from *''muir-tako'' (Coromines) (cf. Basque ''miur(a)'' "mistletoe", ''mihuri'' "seed, kernel"). Inherited ''visco'' only has the meaning "birdlime".
*narria "sledge" (cf. Basque ''nar'', ''narra'' "towing, sled")
*nava "marshy valley, treeless plain" (cf. Basque ''naba'')
*órdago "Mus card game expression pronounced when you win" (cf. Basque ''or dago'' "there it is")
*pelotari, "player of Pelota". Recent loanword
*pestaña "eyelash" (also Pg ''pestana'', Cat ''pestanya''), from *pistanna, from Proto-Basque *pist- (cf. Basque ''pizta'' "rheum", ''piztule'' "eyelash")
*pitarra, pitaña "rheum" (cf. Basque ''pitar'' "rheum")
*pizarra "slate"; problematic. Many attempts to explain as of Basque origin, but as Trask points the related Basque word seems better explained as a foreign loanword in Basque (cf. Basque ''pizar'' "fragment"). Alternative attempts (Coromines BDELC 435) point to a reinterpretation of ''lapitz-arri'' (Basque ''lapits'' "slate" from Latin ''lapis'', plus Basque ''arri'' "stone"), and misdivided as "la-pitzarri" according to the Spanish article ''la''.
*sapo "toad" (also Gascon ''sapou'', Aragonese ''zapo'', Asturian ''sapu''; cf. Basque ''zapo'', ''apo''). Rivals inherited ''escuerzo'', from Lat ''scorteus'' "rough surface".
*sarna "scabies", from Medieval Latin (7th century, Isidore of Seville, ''Origines'', 4.8.68), but as ''serna'' attested in Theodorus Priscianus (Constantinople, 4th century). Trumper, however, after studying the variants of the word in the Latin medical treatises, proposes a Hispano-Celtic origin; cf. Middle Welsh ''sarn'' "mess" and ''sarnaf'' "to wreck".
*sarro "tooth plaque" (cf. Basque ''sarra'' "rust") (Coromines, BDELC); however, DRAE derives it from Latin ''saburra'' "grit, sand", despite the fact this word actually gave ''sorra''.
*silo "cave, granary pit" (cf. Basque ''zilo, zulo'' "hole" < Proto-Basque *''süɫɦo''); or, less likely, from Hispano-Celtic *''silon'' "seed" (Coromines).
*socarrar "to scorch" (cf. Basque dial. and arch. ''sukarr(a)'' "flames, fire", fr. ''su'' "fire" and ''karr(a)'' "flame"
*soca-tira, "tug-of-war". Recent loanword, from Basque ''soka'' "rope" + Fr ''tirer'' "to pull".
*toca "headdress", perhaps from *''tauca''.
*vega "river-plain; water meadow", from OSp ''vayca'' (Trask 1997, 420), from Basque ''(i)bai'' "river" + relational suffix ''-ko'' (BDELC).
*zamarra/chamarra "sheepskin jacket" (cf. Basque ''zamar'' "fleece")
*zanca "bird leg, slim leg", zanco "stilt" (cf. Basque ''zanko'', ''zango'' "leg"). Despite similarity with Italian ''zanca'', the latter is from Lombardic ''zanka'' "tong" (cf. German ''Zange'', English ''tong'').
*zarrio "gaudy, garish" (cf. Basque ''txar'' "bad, faulty"), Andalusian doublet of ''charro'' (see above; DRAE).
*zarza "bramble", fr OSp ''çarça'' (mod. Portuguese ''sarça''), fr early Basque (Oihenart; 17th century) ''çarzi'' (modern ''sasi'' "bramble", ''sarri'' "bush, thicket") (Trask 1997, 421). Ousted Old Spanish ''rubo'', from Lat ''rubus''.
*zatico/zatillo "piece of bread" (cf. Basque ''zati'')
*zorra "fox", from Portuguese ''zorra'' "dray; sly fox", from ''zorro'' "idle", from obsolete ''zorrar'' "to lag, drag" (DRAE), from Basque ''zuhur'' "clever, sly; cautious, discreet" (Trask 1997, 421), akin to Occitan ''mandra'' "fox", from adjective ''mandre'', -a "wily". Ousted ''raposa'', literally, "bushy (tail)"; inherited ''volpe'' still retained in Galician, ''volp'' in Old Catalan, and ''vulpeja'' (''gulpeja'' until 14th century) "vixen" in Spanish.
*zulo "hole" (cf. Basque ''zulo''). Recent loanword
*zurdo "left-handed" (also Galician ''mao xurda'' 'left hand', Portuguese ''surro'', ''churro'', ''churdo''; cf. Basque ''zur'' "wood; stingy", ''zurrun'' "rigid, hard; pole, beam") (Coromines)
*zurrón "sack" (cf. Basque ''zorro'')

Names

Forenames

* Íñigo, from ''Eneko'', derived from the Old Basque name ''Enneco'', which means "my little dear", from ''ene'' (my) + ''ko'' (little).
* Iñaki, a neologism created by Sabino Arana meaning ''Ignatius'', to be a Basque name analog to "Ignacio" in Spanish, "Ignace" in French, and "Ignazio" in Italian, and an alternative to the names Eneko and Iñigo.
* Javier, from a placename possibly derived from Basque '' etxe berri'', meaning 'new house' or 'new home'.
*Jimeno, Ximeno, Chemene, Exemeno, from ''Ximen'', a variant of the medieval Basque given name Semen, root ''seme < senbe'' 'son' as found in the ancient Aquitanian name ''Sembetten'', attested form "sehi" as 'child', hypothetical ancient root *seni (cf. Koldo Mitxelena and modern form "senide" = 'brother or sister', 'relative')
* Sancho, from Santxo, derived from Latin name ''Sanctius'', which, in turn, derived from ''sanctus'', meaning "holy".
* Vasco, Velasco, derived from Basque "belasko", 'small raven'

See also

*Linguistic history of Spanish
* List of Spanish words of Iberian origin
*List of English words of Spanish origin

Notes

References

*Corominas, Juan. ''Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana'', 3rd edn. Madrid: Gredos, 1973. (BDELC)
*Entwistle, William, J. '' The Spanish language: Together with Portuguese, Catalan and Basque'', 1962.
*Gómez de Silva, Guida. ''Elsevier's Concise Spanish Etymological Dictionary''. New York: Elsevier, 1985.
*Llorente Maldonado de Guevara, Antonio
Las Palabras pirenaicas de origen prerromano, de J. Hubschmid, y su importancia para la lingüística peninsular
, ''Archivo de Filología Aragonesa'', 8-9, pp. 127–157, 1958.
* Monlau y Roca, Pedro Felipe.
Diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana
Madrid, 1856.
*Oroz Arizcuren, Franciso Javier. "Sobre palabras prerromanas en escritores latinos" in ''La Hispania prerromana : actas del VI Coloquio sobre lenguas y culturas prerromanas de la Península Ibérica : (Coimbra, 13-15 de octubre de 1994'') coord. 1996, , p. 207-216.
*Real Academia Española. ''Diccionario de la lengua española'', 23rd edn. Madrid, 2014. (DRAE)
* Robert Lawrence Trask. ''The History of Basque'' Routledge, 1997. .
* Robert Lawrence Trask.
Etymological dictionary of Basque
', edited for web publication by Max W. Wheeler. University of Sussex, 2008.

External links

List of words of Basque origin
in the '' Diccionario de la Real Academia Española''.

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Spanish words of Basque origin
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Spanish