Reaction V: By Michael Morris
Author of a leading Basque-English dictionary


Dear Mr. Johnson,

My name is Mikel Morris and am the author of the leading English-Basque dictionary (which you can see at www.euskadi.net/morris ).  Thus, I feel that I am qualified to speak on this subject. It is a shame that you did not contact expert people who are actually familiar with languages in general and with Basque in particular.

To begin with, Leopoldo Barrera is hardly an authority to have an informed opinion of Basque since he knows hardly any Basque (and I am skeptical as to whether he could get by in any other language other than Spanish). It is scientifically false to say that a language is more ancient than another and wholly inaccurate to say that a language such as Basque is little suited to modern life. Every bona fide linguist knows that any language can express any idea, especially when language planning has taken place.

I fail to understand what you mean by "newly minted" words such as aireportu, zientzia, demokrazia. Every language creates neologisms when new concepts come up. You should study the case of Icelandic or even French. Basque is no exception.

Your observation on shepherd is an example of gross ignorance of not only Basque but of English as well. The origin of the word shepherd is sceaphierde, (From Old English) from sceap "sheep" + hierde "herder," from heord "a herd" ( Cf. M.L.G., M.Du. schaphirde, M.H.G. schafhirte, Ger. dial. schafhirt.)  The Webster dictionary defines "shepherd" as "1 : a person who tends sheep" Thus, you probably meant "herder" or "drover" rather than "shepherd", but then again that term is too general in English and is usually combined with the animal being driven.

You mention that Basque numbers have no relationship to Indo-European and that would seem to be a disadvantage. Are European children in Finland, Hungary, Estonia and Turkey at an equal disadvantage? I think not. Finns pray to "Jumala", is that bad or equally as bad as "Jainkoa"? Why?

I am especially amazed at Joseba Arregi (who writes his surname as Arregi not Arregui as you write it though you could have written it as Arregy to make it more palatable to an English-speaking readership;-)). If you quoted him correctly, he has turned full circle in what he had been working for when he basked in power in the PNV. He helped me with my own dictionary project.

As for statistics, I fail to see where you got the figure 450,000,000 speakers for Spanish. Are you including Anglos who speak "Taco Bell" English in the States? German tourists who can order a beer in pidgin Spanish in the Costa Brava? George Bush? Indians in Guatemala who can barely utter a sentence in intelligible Spanish? An authoritative estimate from the Ethnologue Survey (SIL) gave a figure of 332,000,000 in 1999. Has Spanish acquired an extra 120,000,000 since 1999? If so, that is truly amazing but  hardly plausible.

Finally, we get to the crux of the problem: is Basque an official language? If so, it should be equal in every way to Spanish. If not, that should be so stated and either be accepted as a fact or changed. Swedish is still official in Finland even though a small minority actually uses it as their mother tongue. I can hardly feel sorry for Spanish-speaking teachers who refused to learn Basque before. I myself, a native speaker of English, was able to give classes in Basque and Spanish at a High School.

It is a shame that you won't answer me but at least you are confronted with some facts and questions. Although I understand your rabidly pro-Spanish leanings, you should, in the name of good journalism, get your facts straight and talk to competent people who know something about languages.

Sincerely Yours

Mikel Morris

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Reaction VI: Pete T. Cenarrusa
Former Idaho Secretary of State; founder Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture


I am astonished that such a prestigious newspaper as the Wall Street Journal would publish such an article full of errors, inaccuracies, and blatant misinformation.

As the longest elected Secretary of State of Idaho, I took great pleasure in my subscription to the Journal because I believed that the information printed for public consumption was true and accurate. I am retired now after serving over 52 years under the Capitol dome of Idaho. But in my retirement, to read such a distorted news article is exceedingly disappointing. For a reporter of news to err is to fail. News articles should be checked and double checked so that errors are eliminated.

I shall always remember a former columnist for the Idaho Statesman newspaper, (with the largest state-wide circulation) whose advice to journalists was: “When a factual error makes its way into print, it is read by thousands, and worse, believed by them. Through error and inaccuracy, we could lose the trust of our readers – we could undermine the newspaper’s overall credibility.”

I believe that millions read the Wall Street Journal. In order for the newspaper to regain its credibility with your readers I feel it is necessary to print a retraction of the errors in the newspaper with equal space and visibility.

You have probably received a statement prepared by Dr. Xavier Irujo, who speaks Basque, Spanish and English fluently, who is a professor of Contemporary History of the Basque Country at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada. He also puts on workshops in Basque History and Language at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.

In his statement you can learn about the errors made by Mr. Johnson and facts correcting those errors. He included names and addresses of 180 individuals who have expertise in Basque history and ethnology.

My mother and father were immigrants from the Basque Country who became naturalized citizens and built a highly successful livestock business. We five siblings, (I am now the only survivor), learned the Basque language first at home in our close-knit family. Upon entering the first grade, we learned English. Basque heritage lends credibility as evidenced by many scholars and associates of various countries who speak highly of the Basques. Some scholars tell us that when we find the origin of the Basque language, we will find the origin of civilization, and it is worth keeping alive.

Rodney Gallup, an English writer said, “If the Basques have preserved their language and their own distinctive stock, the explanation is not to be found in the geographical features of their land, but in the character.”

In addition, I would like to add a few other quotes from various writers:

Nikolai Yakovlevich Marr, Russian writer and philosopher said, “An ivory tower should be built to protect the Basque people and their language, to insure that this jewel does not disappear.”

Alan H. Kelson de Montigyni, Secretary, International Anthropology and Linguistic Circle, “Chairs in Basque should be set up at all universities, to prevent the loss of anything to do with the Basques. Such a move would benefit everyone. It is the only means we have of knowing what words are the oldest in Europe, perhaps the world.”

Alejo Peyret, French writer, “The Basques always preserved their independence, their autonomy, as we now say, making use of a Greek word. A long time before the Swiss had formed their confederation, Iruracbat; long before the English had won for themselves their Magna Carta; long before the North Americans and the French had proclaimed their declarations of the rights of man, and the citizen; they had organized a representative government, and their representatives met beneath the tree of Guernica. Thus they had government for the people, by the people, they had self government.”

And finally, John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, wrote on October 4, 1786, in researching all the democratic republics of Europe: “In a research like this, after those people in Europe who have had the skill, courage, and fortune, to preserve a voice in the Government, Biscay (the Basque Country), ought by no means to be omitted. While their neighbors have long since resigned all their pretensions into the hands of kings and priests, this extraordinary people have preserved their ancient language, genius, laws, government, and manners, without innovation, longer than any other nation in Europe. They once inhabited some of the finest parts of the ancient low lands, but their love of liberty and unconquerable aversion to foreign servitude, made them retire when invaded and overpowered in their ancient feats into the mountainous countries called by the ancients, Cantabria.  .”

It is a Republic, and one of the privileges they have insisted on is not to have a King – another was that every new lord, at his ascension, should come into the country in person, and take an oath to preserve the fuero, or laws, of the Basques.”

All I am asking is to be fair. Fairness begets success.

Sincerely and Eskerrik Asko, (Thank you)

Pete T. Cenarrusa
Chairman, Cenarrusa Foundation for Basque Culture