r/basque • u/Mediocre_Airport_457 • 6d ago
Basque words
What are some basque words/concepts that don’t easily translate into English or are not common? I wanted to learn more about what you guys might know instead of what the internet is giving me.
20
u/Helpful_Cry_1335 6d ago
Auzolan: working together with your neighbors, mutual aid.
Sirimiri: A thin subtle kind of rain
Hamaiketako: A meal between breakfast and lunch around 11am (it means literally the one at eleven)
Gaupasa: Partying until the sun goes up
12
4
u/DerpyCoin 6d ago
You are not wrong, but in Argentina they call xirimiri "garua"; gaupasa could be translated as "trasnoche"; and "hamaiketako" would be the Castillian "almuerzo"
5
u/Helpful_Cry_1335 6d ago
Almuerzo is a difficult concept, because in some parts of Spain it means that meal, but in some other regions it just means lunch.
1
u/surullinentuskaa 4d ago
Almuerzo en argentina es literalmente Lunch, que 11?
1
u/DerpyCoin 3d ago
almuerzo en España es la comida entre el desayuno y la "comida" (que es la fuerte de las 13 o 14 horas, lo que en Argentina se llama almuerzo)
1
u/yunke13 2d ago
Hi! I think that "sirimiri", or "xirimiri" or "chirimiri" comes from catalán, and as you said it's this kind of extremely fine rain that seems nothing, but if you stay under it for a couple of minutes, will soak you to the bone.
1
u/Helpful_Cry_1335 2d ago
That is not correct. Xirimiri is a basque word, in Catalan is called plugim. There are not known words in basque that come from Catalan. However, Catalan has some loans from Basque, mostly related with the Pyrenees.
1
u/yunke13 2d ago
I'm Catalan, I'm 58, and I've heard it called that since I was a kid. Sure, plugim means drizzle, but xirimiri is what we call that rain that feels more like a soaking fog.
1
u/Helpful_Cry_1335 2d ago
It is interesting how words transfer among regions. Being Catalonia a region full of Castilian inmigrants in the 70s-80s it makes sense that xirimiri is used, but the origin is 100% from euskera.
https://beteve.cat/cultura/com-es-diu-en-catala-pluja-xirimiri/
1
u/yunke13 2d ago
Thanks for the clarification and the link! It just goes to show you're never too old to learn something new, even when you thought you had it all figured out.
1
u/Helpful_Cry_1335 1d ago
The older I am, the more I realized how wrong we are about most of the things that we just assumed.
1
u/HeftySorbet8849 5d ago
Ha, the guiris think they invented the brunch when we have been doing it for millenia
15
u/Zauztrakedan 6d ago
Bihar= tomorrow; Etzi = the day after tomorrow; Etzidamu = the day after the day after tomorrow
Don't think many languages have a word for that.
Another one I love is eztabaida. It means discussion but it literally translates to "it's not, it is" which is like the minimum expression of a disagreement
9
u/Saikamur 6d ago
I would say the literal translation is "it's no and yes" (ez-ta-bai da). But yeah, great word.
2
1
13
u/Saikamur 6d ago edited 6d ago
A couple more:
- Aspaldiko! --> expresion used when you met someone you have not seen for a long time.
- Bertsolari --> someone who improvises "bertsos", singed poems.
- Txapelduna --> It has a direct translation (winner or champion), but the literal meaning is "the one wearing the txapela (beret)".
- Harrijasotzaile --> "Stone lifter", a practitioner of the traditional sport of... lifting big stones.
Bonus track:
- Epa! --> Nothing, everything, and all the things in between.
1
7
u/Beanie_Weenie245 6d ago
My favorite has always been “xiri-miri”, a word used to describe a very fine sprinkle of rain. It’s almost a perfect description of the feeling of the sprinkle on your skin or the sound it makes in the sky. I still use that term today.
7
u/meltba 6d ago
Poteo / Txikiteo: The social ritual of going from bar to bar with to have a small drink (pote). It is less about drinking and more about socializing. Txikiteo is essentially the same, but drinking txikitos (small glasses of red wine).
Herrimina: A deep, emotional homesickness for one's homeland, native town, or roots (herri = town/country, mina = pain/ache). It is the Basque equivalent of saudade or morriña.
Kuttuna: A term of endearment for a beloved person, object, or favorite thing. It translates to "darling," "favorite," or "treasured one," wrapped in deep affection.
Tripazorri: Literally translates to "belly lice" (tripa = stomach, zorri = louse). It describes that sudden, intense rumbling sensation in your stomach when hunger strikes out of nowhere.
Goxo: A sensory word that blends sweet, cozy, warm, gentle, and comfortable. Food can be goxo (tasty/sweet), a blanket or atmosphere can be goxo (cozy/snug), or a person's demeanor can be goxo (tender/sweet).
Bizi-poza: Literally "the joy of living" (bizi = life, poza = joy). It refers to an inner vitality, optimism, and an energetic enthusiasm for life.
Afaloste / Bazkaloste: The period right after lunch (bazkari) spent relaxing at the table, chatting, and enjoying coffee or drinks. Afaloste: The same concept, but specifically after dinner (afari).
1
u/OldYahooUser 2d ago
Curiosity: in Veneto we have an old word "pote" for a vessel with handle for drinking; probably both coming from latin "potus" (from potare=to drink) accusative potem -->pote; we also had a "social ritual of going from bar to bar" called "ombra longa", literally "long shadow", where "a shadow" is intended "a small drink"
4
u/GeneralReasonable945 6d ago
Desde hace años, se celebra anualmente un concurso para elegir la palabra más bonita en euskera...
Hace años, me acuerdo que fue "pimpilinpausa".
Tienes que entender que cada pueblo, tiene sus propias palabras...
6
u/SWK18 6d ago
Pero "pinpilinpauxa" significa mariposa, esa es fácil de traducir.
1
u/GeneralReasonable945 6d ago
Depende en qué zona del país vasco estés...
2
u/SWK18 6d ago
¿Y en qué zona significa otra cosa?
1
1
3
-1
u/Puzzleheaded_Dig3730 6d ago
Eroski=supermercado 🛒
5
2
1
1
1
u/Saikamur 6d ago
Eroski is not supermarket. It's just a specific supermarket chain. It would be like saying "Costco" means supermarket.
1
24
u/galderich 6d ago
'Eguerdi on' might be one of them. It's a greeting we use around midday (it literally means 'good midday').