Belapeireren grafiak

Laburpena

In this paper we consider in some detail the spelling used by the souletin writer Belapeire in his Catechima laburra {"Short Catechism"} (1696). Mostly, the author used a French-based orthography (<ou> / <u>, <ch>, <gn>, <ill>), and no influence of the Bearnaise or Occitan spellings can be observed. Belapeire, for the most part, is quite methodical, especially if we compare him with other old Basque writers, even though he shows some hesitation from time to time.
   Belapeire already makes a clear difference between <u> and <v>, but he still makes use of both <i-> and <j- > to represent the fricative consonant, although <j> is more usual, especially in the second part of the book. He often avoids etymological spellings (Joseph) or French double consonants ( <nn>, <ff>) and he writes <ke>, <ki> instead of <que>, <qui>: perhaps this might be considered a modest attempt to create a Basque orthography. Accents and dieresis are also analysed, as well as the way the author divides the elements of the chain. Finally, we deal with spelling differences between the two parts of the book, which have been written in different time periods.