Alegiako haurrak eta hitanorako jauzia

Abstract

Hitano is the informal form of address in Basque and having noticed the decline in the use of hitano in recent years, this paper examines the relationship of young people from Alegia with hitano, their opinion on it and their process of starting to speak in hitano, the main objective of this work being to find out about the process of starting to use said speech in this town. For this reason, the analysis has focused on what hitano is, its social function, the connotations assigned to it, the variables of hitano’s use and the situation of the main centres of transmission. This has been done through observation, a questionnaire, individual interviews and group discussions with boys and girls from Alegia who are 8-11 years old. It has been concluded that having knowledge of Hitano and a favourable opinion towards it are necessary factors to make the leap towards using this speech, but there are also other circumstances that influence doing so.