Berriz
Encyclopedia
Berriz is an elizate
, town and municipality
located in the province of Biscay
, in the Basque Country
, northern Spain
. Berriz is part of the comarca
of Durangaldea
and has a population of 4.759 inhabitants as of 2007 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute
.
toponyms with an -iz ending. Julio Caro Baroja
defended that most of these toponyms came from an original Basque toponym plus the Latin suffix -icus. Caro Baroja considered that on toponymy, the suffixes -oz, -ez and -iz used to be combined with the name of the owner of the lands, with its origin being in some place betwee the Middle Ages
and the Roman Empire
.
In the case of Berriz, Caro Baroja suggested that the name might come from Verrius, the documented Latin name. Then, to the name Verrius it was added the suffix -icus (indicating that the lands were owned by Verrius) and became Verricus From then, the name evolved to Verrici and from there to Verriz. The name of the town in Spanish
used to be Vérriz.
Another theory about is origin negates the Latin origin and proposes a Basque
origin. Berriz might come from Be(h)e ("under") and Oiz in reference to the Oiz
mountain, and then "under Oiz" as of "in the or at the bottom of Oiz".
Elizate
Elizate is a Basque term that refers to an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. It literally translates as "church door"...
, town and municipality
Municipalities of Spain
The municipalities of Spain In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. municipi.*Galician or , sing. municipio/bisbarra.*Basque , sing. udalerria. are the basic level of Spanish local government...
located in the province of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, northern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Berriz is part of the comarca
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
of Durangaldea
Durangaldea
Durangaldea is a comarca of Biscay located in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas or regions that compose the province of Biscay. The capital city of Durangaldea is Durango.- Geography :...
and has a population of 4.759 inhabitants as of 2007 and according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
.
Toponymy
Berriz belongs to a series of BasqueBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
toponyms with an -iz ending. Julio Caro Baroja
Julio Caro Baroja
Julio Caro Baroja was a world-renowned Basque Spanish anthropologist, historian, linguist and essayist. He was known for his special interest in Basque culture, history and society. Of Basque ancestry, he was the nephew of the renowned writer Pio Baroja; and his brother, painter, writer and...
defended that most of these toponyms came from an original Basque toponym plus the Latin suffix -icus. Caro Baroja considered that on toponymy, the suffixes -oz, -ez and -iz used to be combined with the name of the owner of the lands, with its origin being in some place betwee the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
In the case of Berriz, Caro Baroja suggested that the name might come from Verrius, the documented Latin name. Then, to the name Verrius it was added the suffix -icus (indicating that the lands were owned by Verrius) and became Verricus From then, the name evolved to Verrici and from there to Verriz. The name of the town in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
used to be Vérriz.
Another theory about is origin negates the Latin origin and proposes a Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
origin. Berriz might come from Be(h)e ("under") and Oiz in reference to the Oiz
Oiz
Mount Oiz , is one of the most popular summits of Biscay in the Basque Country . Its summits form part of a long range that feeds several rivers: Ibaizabal, Artibai, Lea, Oka and Deva in Gipuzkoa all of them running to the Bay of Biscay....
mountain, and then "under Oiz" as of "in the or at the bottom of Oiz".
External links
- Bérriz in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
- Bérriz Town Hall in Basque and Spanish