Koldo Mitxelena
Encyclopedia
Koldo Mitxelena Elissalt (koldo mitʃelena) (also known as Luis Michelena; 1915, Errenteria
, Gipuzkoa - 11 October 1987, San Sebastián
) was an eminent Basque
linguist. He taught in the Department of Philology at the University of the Basque Country
, and was a member of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language
.
He is described as "the greatest scholar the Basque language
has ever seen." He is known for the complete reconstruction of Proto-Basque he undertook in the 1950s, as well as the formal demonstration in 1954 that the Aquitanian language
was an ancestral form of Basque. Mitxelena was also one of the main participants in the creation of "Euskara Batua" or Unified Basque. In 1987 he was declared Seme Kuttun of the City of Errenteria, literally 'beloved son'.
.
Mitxelena came from a Basque Nationalist family. When he was young, he was affiliated with the Euskal Langileen Alkartasuna and the Basque Nationalist Party
, and learnt about the Euskaltzaleak youth movement led by Jose Ariztimuño, known as "Aitzol." He began working in a factory while continuing his studies, also starting to attend meetings. At this time he became interested in pre-war Basque literature.
's military coup took place, Mitxelena volunteered for the Nationalist side. He was taken captive in Santoña
and was condemned to death on September 7, 1937, but the sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison. He thus came to know the prisons El Dueso, Larrinaga, and Burgos
.
In the Burgos prison, he made the acquaintance of many intellectuals and university professors. It was there that Francisco Jordá (later a professor of archaeology
) convinced him to undertake university studies. Difficulties prevented him from doing so until 1948. Two books played a large role in motivating him: the Manual de Gramática Española (Manual of Spanish Grammar) by Menéndez Pidal and Aguado Bleye's History of Spain.
He was released on January 13, 1943, after 5 years, 4 months, and 5 days of prison.
. He took it immediately, and began engaging in clandestine activities while working. The entire opposition against the dictatorship had one hope: that the Allied Forces
in World War II
would win, and thus cause the Franco regime to fall.
On April 10, 1946, Mitxelena was again arrested for his activities related to the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
and the Basque Nationalist Party. Together with this, three important Galicians died: Ramón Piñeiro
and the Saco brothers. Mitxelena was sentenced to two years. He was released on January 30, 1948, after passing through a few more prisons: Alcalá
, Ocaña
, Yeserías, and Talavera
.
…).
In 1949 he married Matilde Martínez de Ilarduya. In 1951, he took part in a strike.
. This period in Salamanca was to be one of the happiest times in his life, for both Mitxelena and for his family.
charged him with the great responsibility of unifying the written Basque language, among other things because of the disputes caused by the use of the letter H. His point of view was not the neutral one of a linguist, but also had the input of sociolinguistics
in his mind. He clearly saw that it would be necessary to build Unified Basque on the most useful of the central Basque dialects. In the same way, he saw where the future could come from, and knew to connect with the sensibilities had by the young Bascophiles of the time.
as professeur associé and chargé de cours in the École Practique des Hautes Études. The friendship Mitxelena had with André Martinet
at this time should be mentioned. At the beginning, he would often visit Martinet's house, and he eventually entered into his circle of friends and scientists, as well as into his publishing network.
and first elections, Mitxelena was still in Salamanca. He nevertheless maintained close ties with the Basque Country and took part in many major events there. One was the creation of the University of the Basque Country (EHU-UPV) and cultural normalization. In his later years, starting in 1978, Mitxelena taught at the EHU-UPV and was active in preparing the first generation of Basque philologists. Mitxelena also spent many years preparing a Basque dictionary. The first volume of the General Basque Dictionary was finally published in 1987, but Mitxelena was unable to see it, as he had died shortly before, in that same year. Later, Ibon Sarasola, who had worked with Mitxelena on the project, continued to lead work on the dictionary, until completing its publication in 2005.
Errenteria
Errenteria is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, North of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun cuts its way through the town, one that has undergone severe pollution up to recent times on its lower...
, Gipuzkoa - 11 October 1987, San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
) was an eminent Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
linguist. He taught in the Department of Philology at the University of the Basque Country
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...
, and was a member of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language
Euskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
.
He is described as "the greatest scholar the Basque language
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...
has ever seen." He is known for the complete reconstruction of Proto-Basque he undertook in the 1950s, as well as the formal demonstration in 1954 that the Aquitanian language
Aquitanian language
The Aquitanian language was spoken in ancient Aquitaine before the Roman conquest and, probably much later, until the Early Middle Ages....
was an ancestral form of Basque. Mitxelena was also one of the main participants in the creation of "Euskara Batua" or Unified Basque. In 1987 he was declared Seme Kuttun of the City of Errenteria, literally 'beloved son'.
Childhood and adolescence
Mitxelena was born into a family engaged in industrial crafts. When still a child, illness kept him bed-ridden for a long time. This awoke his interest in reading, and also his love for the Basque languageBasque 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...
.
Mitxelena came from a Basque Nationalist family. When he was young, he was affiliated with the Euskal Langileen Alkartasuna and the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
, and learnt about the Euskaltzaleak youth movement led by Jose Ariztimuño, known as "Aitzol." He began working in a factory while continuing his studies, also starting to attend meetings. At this time he became interested in pre-war Basque literature.
War, death sentence, prison
When Francisco FrancoFrancisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's military coup took place, Mitxelena volunteered for the Nationalist side. He was taken captive in Santoña
Santoña Agreement
The Santoña Agreement or Pact of Santoña was an agreement signed in the town of Guriezo, near Santoña, Cantabria, the August 24, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party , fighting with the Republican Side, and Italian forces fighting with the...
and was condemned to death on September 7, 1937, but the sentence was commuted to 30 years in prison. He thus came to know the prisons El Dueso, Larrinaga, and Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
.
In the Burgos prison, he made the acquaintance of many intellectuals and university professors. It was there that Francisco Jordá (later a professor of archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
) convinced him to undertake university studies. Difficulties prevented him from doing so until 1948. Two books played a large role in motivating him: the Manual de Gramática Española (Manual of Spanish Grammar) by Menéndez Pidal and Aguado Bleye's History of Spain.
He was released on January 13, 1943, after 5 years, 4 months, and 5 days of prison.
Second imprisonment
Mitxelena returned to Errenteria when he was 27, in ill health. Jose Uranga, an entrepreneur from Errenteria offered him an accounting job in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. He took it immediately, and began engaging in clandestine activities while working. The entire opposition against the dictatorship had one hope: that the Allied Forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
would win, and thus cause the Franco regime to fall.
On April 10, 1946, Mitxelena was again arrested for his activities related to the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions affiliated with the International Workers Association . When working with the latter group it is also known as CNT-AIT...
and the Basque Nationalist Party. Together with this, three important Galicians died: Ramón Piñeiro
Ramón Piñeiro
Ramón Piñeiro is a Spanish racing driver.-Formula BMW:Piñeiro began his formula racing career in 2008 in Formula BMW Europe with Fortec Motorsport. He finished twentieth in standings, taking five points-scoring positions in sixteen races. For 2009, Piñeiro remained in the series, but switched to...
and the Saco brothers. Mitxelena was sentenced to two years. He was released on January 30, 1948, after passing through a few more prisons: Alcalá
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
, Ocaña
Ocaña, Spain
Ocaña, a town and municipality of central Spain, in the province of Toledo. It is located on the extreme north of the tableland known as the Mesa de Ocaña, and has a station on the railway from Aranjuez to Cuenca.-History:...
, Yeserías, and Talavera
Talavera
Talavera may refer to the following:Places* Talavera de la Reina, a city in Toledo province, Spain, where two battles took place:** Battle of Talavera, during the Peninsular War** Battle of Talavera de la Reina , during the Spanish Civil War...
.
Poverty and intellectual development
In 1948, Mitxelena was once again in Errenteria, but he enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters in Madrid, having been encouraged by Francisco Jordá, his prison mate. The two decades of the 50s and 60s were important for Mitxelena. He underwent a significant intellectual development, but was living on a shoestring and had to work more than one job to make a living. Due to his criminal record, it was not easy to find a stable job. Luckily, a few of his friends were familiar with his worth and skills (Arrue, Tovar, Amorós, Agud, VallejoAntonio Buero Vallejo
Antonio Buero Vallejo was a Spanish playwright considered the most important Spanish dramatist of the Spanish Civil War...
…).
In 1949 he married Matilde Martínez de Ilarduya. In 1951, he took part in a strike.
University
In 1954 he was appointed director of the Julio de Urquijo School of Basque Philology, as well as member of the editorial board of the magazine Egan. At the same time, he began giving classes in Salamanca, on the urging of his friend Antonio Tovar. In 1958 he received the Larramendi Chair in Basque Language and Literature at Salamanca University (the first such chair dedicated to Basque in a Spanish university). He received his doctorate in 1959. In 1968, he became professor of Indoeuropean linguisticsIndo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
. This period in Salamanca was to be one of the happiest times in his life, for both Mitxelena and for his family.
Creation of Unified Basque
At the same time as he began giving classes in Salamanca, the Royal Academy of the Basque LanguageEuskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
charged him with the great responsibility of unifying the written Basque language, among other things because of the disputes caused by the use of the letter H. His point of view was not the neutral one of a linguist, but also had the input of sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
in his mind. He clearly saw that it would be necessary to build Unified Basque on the most useful of the central Basque dialects. In the same way, he saw where the future could come from, and knew to connect with the sensibilities had by the young Bascophiles of the time.
Teaching in Paris
One of the famous consequences of the events of May 1968 in France was a the decentralization and extension of the university. Between 1969 and 1971, Mitxelena taught comparative Basque linguistics at the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
as professeur associé and chargé de cours in the École Practique des Hautes Études. The friendship Mitxelena had with André Martinet
André Martinet
André Martinet was a French linguist, influential by his work on structural linguistics....
at this time should be mentioned. At the beginning, he would often visit Martinet's house, and he eventually entered into his circle of friends and scientists, as well as into his publishing network.
A multifaceted and acute observer
Mitxelena was a linguist of true calling, and had knowledge of many languages, but beyond that, he was an avid reader of literature, including detective novels. He also had an interest in the cinema, writing many interesting reviews and critiques in Basque. He was asked to be part of many juries at cultural events, and his advice was sought for judgments on the level of education and culture.In the Basque Country again: Creating the University of the Basque Country
During the period of Spain's political transitionSpanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
and first elections, Mitxelena was still in Salamanca. He nevertheless maintained close ties with the Basque Country and took part in many major events there. One was the creation of the University of the Basque Country (EHU-UPV) and cultural normalization. In his later years, starting in 1978, Mitxelena taught at the EHU-UPV and was active in preparing the first generation of Basque philologists. Mitxelena also spent many years preparing a Basque dictionary. The first volume of the General Basque Dictionary was finally published in 1987, but Mitxelena was unable to see it, as he had died shortly before, in that same year. Later, Ibon Sarasola, who had worked with Mitxelena on the project, continued to lead work on the dictionary, until completing its publication in 2005.
Works
Mitxelena wrote twelve books, 260 articles, and 236 reviews and critiques. Some of his works are:- "Apellidos vascos" ("Basque Surnames") (1955)
- "Historia de la literatura vasca" ("History of the Basque Literature") (1960)
- "Fonética histórica vasca" ("Historical Phonetics of Basque") (1961)
- "Lenguas y protolenguas" ("Languages and Proto-Languages") (1963)
- "Textos arcaicos vascos" ("Archaic Basque Texts") (1964)
- "Sobre el pasado de la lengua vasca" ("On the History of the Basque Language") (1964)
- "Mitxelenaren idazlan hautatuak" ("Selected Writings of Mitxelena") (1972)
- "Koldo Mitxelena. Euskal idazlan guztiak" ("Koldo Mitxelena. Complete Basque Writings"), Euskal klasikoak 21-29 (1988)
- "Orotariko euskal hiztegia" ("General Basque Dictionary") (1987–2005)
See also
- Proto-Basque
- Basque peopleBasque peopleThe Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
- Basque CountryBasque Country (historical territory)The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....