The origins of the Basque language remain a subject of intense debate among scholars, historians, and linguists. Spoken by hundreds of thousands in the Basque Country, which spans parts of France and Spain, the language is classified as an "isolat," meaning it has no known linguistic relatives. This status sets it apart from other European languages, including French and Spanish.
Basque, or "euskara," features a structure that does not align with Indo-European languages, lacking gender distinctions and accents. Its agglutinative nature allows for the combination of suffixes and roots, similar to some geographically distant languages, such as Caucasian languages. Attempts to link Basque with Finnish or Hungarian have not yielded conclusive evidence.
Some researchers propose that Basque may be a remnant of languages spoken in Europe prior to the arrival of Indo-European peoples over 4,000 years ago. However, this hypothesis relies on fragmentary archaeological and linguistic evidence. The scarcity of written Basque documents before the Middle Ages complicates the investigation.
In 2007, linguist Eñaut Etxamendi defended a doctoral thesis examining potential connections between Basque and Indo-European languages. He argued against the notion of Basque as entirely unique, suggesting it may be the oldest European language, sharing traits with ancient languages of Europe and Asia. His research indicates that some Basque words may predate Latin.
A significant discovery in 2021, the "hand of Irulegi," a bronze artifact dated to 2,000 years ago, contained inscriptions resembling Basque. The earliest identified word, "sorioneku," is linked to the contemporary Basque term "zonioneko," meaning "good fortune." This finding suggests that Basque was spoken as early as the 1st millennium BCE.
Despite its small geographical footprint, Basque has persisted through historical challenges, including the Roman Empire and various political pressures favoring the French language. The quest to uncover the origins of the Basque language continues, affirming its status as one of Europe's oldest surviving languages.