Astarloaren hizkuntzalaritzaz

Abstract

This paper analyses the philosophy of language of P. P. Astarloa (1752-1806). It is underlined that his main work, Discursos Filosóficos, written at the end of the XVIIIth century did not receive its well deserved attention as it was shadowed by Apología, a minor work derived from the above mentioned. Unlike the general Basque grammatical tradition which exclusively cared about Basque, Astarloa was interested in language and in the linguistic capacity inherent to human nature. He thinks that differences among languages are accidental, and that the core principles are common to all of them. It is said that the purists of the end of the XIXth century altered Astarloa's work removing from it every reference to human linguistic ability and using his thoughts about the "primitive language" in favor of the euskara garbia pursued by them.