Quantifying aspiration in Zuberoan Basque
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Argitaratua
2026-09-27
Mikhael Hayes
José Ignacio Hualde
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7774-6778
José Ignacio Hualde
Laburpena
In modern Basque, aspiration is a feature of Northern dialects and reaches its highest frequency in Zuberoan. Here we undertake a detailed analysis of its distribution in J. Larrasquet’s (1939) dictionary of north-eastern Zuberoan. Lafon (1948, 1958) and Mitxelena (1951, 1958) noticed two constraints on aspiration: there can be only one aspirated segment per word, and it must be located on the onset of either the first or the second syllable. Here we examine all apparent exceptions to these constraints and their etymological sources. In addition, we study several other topics related to aspiration, including the relative numeric importance of phenomena such as the lenition of intervocalic /n/, the insertion of glottalization at morpheme boundaries, and the development of aspiration in stress-accented syllables. We also consider the extent to which old patterns of distribution of aspirated and unaspirated voiceless stops have been altered or obscured by lexical change and analogy.
Aipuak nola egin
Hayes, Mikhael, eta José Ignacio Hualde. 2026. «Quantifying Aspiration in Zuberoan Basque». Anuario Del Seminario De Filología Vasca "Julio De Urquijo", iraila. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.28076.
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References
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EHHE = Lakarra, Joseba A., Julen Manterola & Iñaki Segurola. 2019. Euskal hiztegi historiko-etimologikoa (EHHE-200) [Basque historical-etymological dictionary]. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia. https://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/ehhe
Egurtzegi, Ander. 2018. On the phonemic status of nasalized /h̃/ in modern Zuberoan Basque. Linguistics 56(6). 1353-1367. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2018-0024
Egurtzegi, Ander. 2023. /h̃/ hasperen sudurkarituaren inguruan. ASJU 57(1-2). 275-294. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.25952
Egurtzegi, Ander & Gorka Elordieta. 2023. A history of the Basque prosodic systems. Diachronica 40(1). 30-72. https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.20066.egu
Etxepare, Bernart. 1545. Linguae Vasconum Primitiae. Bordeaux: François Morpain.
Gonzalez-Eppherre, Jean-Philippe & Beñat Oihartzabal. 2025. L’aspiration en Basque: phonématique et analogy. ASJU 59(1). 177-211. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.27517
Hualde, José Ignacio. 1993a. Topics in Souletin Phonology. In José Ignacio Hualde & Jon Ortiz de Urbina (eds.), Generative Studies in Basque Linguistics, 289-327. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.105.12hua
Hualde, José Ignacio. 1993b. On the historical origin of Basque accentuation. Diachronica 10(1). 13-50. https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.10.1.03hua
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2003. Segmental phonology. In José Ignacio Hualde & Jon Ortiz de Urbina (eds.), A grammar of Basque, 15-64. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2007. Historical convergence and divergence in Basque accentuation. In Carlos Gussenhoven & Tomas Riad (eds.), Tones and tunes, vol. 1, 291-322. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110207569.291
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2012. Two Basque accentual systems and the notion of pitch-accent language. Lingua 122(13). 1335-1351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2012.05.003
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2018. Aspiration in Basque. Papers in Historical Phonology 3. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.2218/pihph.3.2018.2602
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2022a. Accent shift and the reconstruction of Old Common Basque accentuation. In Junko Ito, Haruo Kubozono & Armin Mester (eds.), Prosody and prosodic interfaces, 29-62. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198869740.003.0002
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2022b. The reconstruction of Old Common Basque accentuation: Closing open issues. ASJU 56(2). 77-106. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.23983
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2024. Azentua eta hasperena: QED [Accent and aspiration: QED]. Fontes Linguae Vasconum 137. 235-241. https://doi.org/10.35462/flv137.10
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2026. On the historical link between accent and aspiration in Basque. Journal of Historical Linguistics. Published online 09 Feb 2026. https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.24021.hua
Igartua, Iván. 2008. La aspiración de origen nasal en la evolución fonética del euskera: un caso de rhynoglottophilia. ASJU 42(1). 171-189. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.2305
Igartua, Iván. 2015. Diachronic effects of rhynoglottophilia, symmetries in sound change and the curious case of Basque. Studies in Language 39. 635-663. https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.39.3.04iga
Lafon, René. 1948. Remarques sur l’aspiration en basque. Mélanges offerts a M. le Professeur Henri Gavel, 56-62. Toulouse: Privat.
Lafon, René. 1958. Contribution a l’étude du parler basque de Larrau (Haute-Soule). In Diego Catalán (ed.), Miscelánea homenaje a André Martinet, vol. 2, 77-106. La Laguna (Repr. in Jean Haritschelhar & Piarres Charritton (eds.), Vasconiana, 113-133. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia).
Lakarra, Joseba A. 2009. *h3 > h1, *h2 > h1 eta horiei datxezkien zenbait fenomenoz [On *h3 > h1, *h2 > h1 and some related phenomena]. Lapurdum 13. 211-231. https://doi.org/10.4000/lapurdum.2091
Lakarra, Joseba A. 2011. Gogoetak euskal dialektologia diakronikoaz: Euskara Batu Zaharra berreraiki beharraz eta haren banaketaren ikerketaz [Thoughts in Basque diachronic linguistics: On the need to reconstruct Old Common Basque and on the investigation of its diversification]. In Irantzu Epelde (ed.), Euskal dialektologia: lehena eta oraina [Basque dialectology: Past and present] (Supplements of ASJU 69), 155-241. Bilbao: EHU.
Larrasquet, Jean. 1939. Le basque de la Basse-Soule Orientale (Collection Linguistique 46). Paris: Société de Linguistique de Paris.
Leizarraga, Joannes. 1571. Jesus Christ gure Jaunaren Testamentu Berria [The New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ]. La Rochelle: Pierre Hautin.
Manterola, Julen & José Ignacio Hualde. 2021. Old Basque had */χ/, not /h/: medieval data, implications for reconstruction and Basque-Romance contact effects. Journal of Historical Linguistics 11(3). 421-456. https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.19041.man
Martinet, André. 1950. De la sonorisation des occlusives initiales en basque. Word 6. 224-236 (Repr. in André Martinet, 1964, Économie des changements phonétiques, 2nd ed., 370-388. Bern: A. Francke).
Martínez Areta, José Miguel. 2004. El acento proto-vasco. ASJU 38(1). 135-206. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.8869
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1951. La distribución de las oclusivas aspiradas y no aspiradas. BAP 7. 539-549.
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1958. À propos de l’accent basque. Bulletin de la Société de Linguistique de Paris 53. 204-233.
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1977. Fonética histórica vasca, 2nd expanded ed. Donostia-San Sebastián: Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa.
OEH = Mitxelena, Koldo & Ibon Sarasola. 1987-2005. Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia / Diccionario General Vasco, 16 vol. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia (11th online edition, 2023: http://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/oeh).
Orduña Aznar, Eduardo. 2026. La aspiración en vascónico-aquitano: distribución y posibles restricciones. Veleia 43. 195-210. https://doi.org/10.1387/veleia.27292
Trask, R. L. 1997. The history of Basque. London: Routledge.
EHHE = Lakarra, Joseba A., Julen Manterola & Iñaki Segurola. 2019. Euskal hiztegi historiko-etimologikoa (EHHE-200) [Basque historical-etymological dictionary]. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia. https://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/ehhe
Egurtzegi, Ander. 2018. On the phonemic status of nasalized /h̃/ in modern Zuberoan Basque. Linguistics 56(6). 1353-1367. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2018-0024
Egurtzegi, Ander. 2023. /h̃/ hasperen sudurkarituaren inguruan. ASJU 57(1-2). 275-294. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.25952
Egurtzegi, Ander & Gorka Elordieta. 2023. A history of the Basque prosodic systems. Diachronica 40(1). 30-72. https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.20066.egu
Etxepare, Bernart. 1545. Linguae Vasconum Primitiae. Bordeaux: François Morpain.
Gonzalez-Eppherre, Jean-Philippe & Beñat Oihartzabal. 2025. L’aspiration en Basque: phonématique et analogy. ASJU 59(1). 177-211. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.27517
Hualde, José Ignacio. 1993a. Topics in Souletin Phonology. In José Ignacio Hualde & Jon Ortiz de Urbina (eds.), Generative Studies in Basque Linguistics, 289-327. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.105.12hua
Hualde, José Ignacio. 1993b. On the historical origin of Basque accentuation. Diachronica 10(1). 13-50. https://doi.org/10.1075/dia.10.1.03hua
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2003. Segmental phonology. In José Ignacio Hualde & Jon Ortiz de Urbina (eds.), A grammar of Basque, 15-64. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2007. Historical convergence and divergence in Basque accentuation. In Carlos Gussenhoven & Tomas Riad (eds.), Tones and tunes, vol. 1, 291-322. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110207569.291
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2012. Two Basque accentual systems and the notion of pitch-accent language. Lingua 122(13). 1335-1351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2012.05.003
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2018. Aspiration in Basque. Papers in Historical Phonology 3. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.2218/pihph.3.2018.2602
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2022a. Accent shift and the reconstruction of Old Common Basque accentuation. In Junko Ito, Haruo Kubozono & Armin Mester (eds.), Prosody and prosodic interfaces, 29-62. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198869740.003.0002
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2022b. The reconstruction of Old Common Basque accentuation: Closing open issues. ASJU 56(2). 77-106. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.23983
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2024. Azentua eta hasperena: QED [Accent and aspiration: QED]. Fontes Linguae Vasconum 137. 235-241. https://doi.org/10.35462/flv137.10
Hualde, José Ignacio. 2026. On the historical link between accent and aspiration in Basque. Journal of Historical Linguistics. Published online 09 Feb 2026. https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.24021.hua
Igartua, Iván. 2008. La aspiración de origen nasal en la evolución fonética del euskera: un caso de rhynoglottophilia. ASJU 42(1). 171-189. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.2305
Igartua, Iván. 2015. Diachronic effects of rhynoglottophilia, symmetries in sound change and the curious case of Basque. Studies in Language 39. 635-663. https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.39.3.04iga
Lafon, René. 1948. Remarques sur l’aspiration en basque. Mélanges offerts a M. le Professeur Henri Gavel, 56-62. Toulouse: Privat.
Lafon, René. 1958. Contribution a l’étude du parler basque de Larrau (Haute-Soule). In Diego Catalán (ed.), Miscelánea homenaje a André Martinet, vol. 2, 77-106. La Laguna (Repr. in Jean Haritschelhar & Piarres Charritton (eds.), Vasconiana, 113-133. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia).
Lakarra, Joseba A. 2009. *h3 > h1, *h2 > h1 eta horiei datxezkien zenbait fenomenoz [On *h3 > h1, *h2 > h1 and some related phenomena]. Lapurdum 13. 211-231. https://doi.org/10.4000/lapurdum.2091
Lakarra, Joseba A. 2011. Gogoetak euskal dialektologia diakronikoaz: Euskara Batu Zaharra berreraiki beharraz eta haren banaketaren ikerketaz [Thoughts in Basque diachronic linguistics: On the need to reconstruct Old Common Basque and on the investigation of its diversification]. In Irantzu Epelde (ed.), Euskal dialektologia: lehena eta oraina [Basque dialectology: Past and present] (Supplements of ASJU 69), 155-241. Bilbao: EHU.
Larrasquet, Jean. 1939. Le basque de la Basse-Soule Orientale (Collection Linguistique 46). Paris: Société de Linguistique de Paris.
Leizarraga, Joannes. 1571. Jesus Christ gure Jaunaren Testamentu Berria [The New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ]. La Rochelle: Pierre Hautin.
Manterola, Julen & José Ignacio Hualde. 2021. Old Basque had */χ/, not /h/: medieval data, implications for reconstruction and Basque-Romance contact effects. Journal of Historical Linguistics 11(3). 421-456. https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.19041.man
Martinet, André. 1950. De la sonorisation des occlusives initiales en basque. Word 6. 224-236 (Repr. in André Martinet, 1964, Économie des changements phonétiques, 2nd ed., 370-388. Bern: A. Francke).
Martínez Areta, José Miguel. 2004. El acento proto-vasco. ASJU 38(1). 135-206. https://doi.org/10.1387/asju.8869
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1951. La distribución de las oclusivas aspiradas y no aspiradas. BAP 7. 539-549.
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1958. À propos de l’accent basque. Bulletin de la Société de Linguistique de Paris 53. 204-233.
Mitxelena, Koldo [Michelena, Luis]. 1977. Fonética histórica vasca, 2nd expanded ed. Donostia-San Sebastián: Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa.
OEH = Mitxelena, Koldo & Ibon Sarasola. 1987-2005. Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia / Diccionario General Vasco, 16 vol. Bilbao: Euskaltzaindia (11th online edition, 2023: http://www.euskaltzaindia.eus/oeh).
Orduña Aznar, Eduardo. 2026. La aspiración en vascónico-aquitano: distribución y posibles restricciones. Veleia 43. 195-210. https://doi.org/10.1387/veleia.27292
Trask, R. L. 1997. The history of Basque. London: Routledge.
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