Hizkuntz irizpideak XVII. mendeko Lapurdiko eliz agirietan, eta haietan bildutako zenbait zertzelada garaiko autoreen gainean

Abstract

In this article we have analysed the languages used in the ecclesiastic records of baptism, marriage and death in the Basque province of Labourd during the 17 ͭ ͪ century, considering the special linguistic state that existed at the time. In effect together with French, which was the official language of France, and Latin as the official language of the Catholic Church, Basque was the main language spoken in Labourd. In addition, we present some data that appears in the aforementioned records on Basque writers of the time, as well as several other details concerning the paratexts of their texts.

Our conclusions are the following: French appears to be almost the exclusive language of the records. Only a few signers used Latin and surprisingly some records are written in Spanish. Basque, it should be noted, was completely marginalized, although for many of those who wrote the records Basque was their mother tongue.