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International Congress of Bascologists, 1980 By William H. Jacobsen, Jr. Dr. Jacobsen is the Linguistics Coordinator of the Basque Studies Program and a Professor of English at the University of Nevada Reno where he has taught since 1965. He is best known for his linguistic studies of Northwest coast American Indian languages. Professor Jacobsen has recently translated Jon Oñatibia’s Basque grammar into English. This work is forthcoming from the University of Nevada Press. In the last week of August 1980, I was privileged to take part in an unprecedented International Congress of Bascologists (Euskalarien Nazioarteko Jardunaldiak) sponsored by the Academy of the Basque Language (Euskaltzaindia) of Bilbao. This event was the culmination of a series of academic events held in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Sebero de Altube (1879-1963), who was himself a linguist and a member of the Academy. It was designed to promote closer contacts among scholarly students of the Basque language. In addition to about 25 members of the Academy resident in the Basque Country, participants assembled from ten countries: five each from France and the United States, three each from Japan and the Georgian SSR, two each from West Germany and Spain, and one each from England, Sweden, Austria, and Poland. The first day’s opening ceremonies were held in the historic parliament building of Guernica (Gernika), beginning with words of welcome by Luis Villasante, President of the Academy, and by officials of the Basque government: President Carlos Garaikoetxea, Minister of Culture Ramon Labayen, and Minister of Education Pedro Etxenike. The foreign participants were individually introduced, and choral works composed by former members of the Academy were performed by the “Andra Mari” choir of Guernica. The first of a series of seven invited papers was presented by Jean Hartischelhar, Vice President of the Academy and Professor of Basque Language at the University of Bordeaux, on “The Present-day Status of Research on the Basque Language.” That afternoon there also began a series of sight-seeing and cultural events with a visit to the prehistoric caves of Santimamiñe, lunch in a nearby farmstead, then attendance at a demonstration performance of bertsolaris (including verses composed on topics suggested by the visiting linguists), and a visit to the Guernica jai-alai court. For the next four days, the scholarly sessions moved to the campus of the University of the Basque Country at Lejona (Leioa), where they were scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., but usually lasted until later. The remaining six invited papers were presented, one or two a day: “Basque Synchronic and Diachronic Phonology” by Andre Martinet, formerly Professor at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, the Sorbonne, and Columbia University; “Comparison: Lexicostatistics and Lexico-statistics Typology” by Antonio Tovar, formerly Rector of the University of Salamanca and Professor at the Universities of Tucman (Argentina), Illinois, and Tubingen (West Germany); “Basque Syntax, Logical Form and the Auxiliary” by Robert L. Trask, Professor at the University of Liverpool; and finally, “Future Research Prospects” by Luis Mitxelena, Professor at the Vitoria (Gasteiz) campus of the University of the Basque Country, formerly at the University of Salamanca. In addition, 20 shorter, more sharply focused reports were also presented. The afternoon series of events continued with, on Tuesday, visits to the Sanctuary of Aranzazu and the University of Oñate; on Wednesday, lunch in a farmstead of the Valley of Atxondo, with displays of singing, dancing, and feats of strength, followed by a visit to the city of Elorrio; on Thursday, a; banquet at the hotel in Bilbao, followed by a colloquium with students of Basque language and philology. On Friday we had lunch at a men’s gastronomical society in Guetaria, followed by a visit to San Sebastián (Donostia), a discussion about ways of maintaining future contacts and facilitating dissemination of information, and dinner in Fuenterrabia (Ondarrabia). Even on Saturday, after the close of the formal sessions, many of the linguists remained for a visit to Vitoria (Gasteiz) and Labastida in the Province of Alava. The enormous amount of planning for the congress included the providing of simultaneous translations among four languages (English, French, Spanish, Basque), displays of books, and many other thoughtful amenities. The emblem of the Congress, reproduced above, represents hands clasped in fraternal greeting. (It was designed by the famous Basque sculptor, Chillida.) Certainly the primary result of these meetings will be the strengthening of relationships among serious students of Basque all around the world. Eskerrak ematen diegu! |
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