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Franco-Basque lexicon

René Poty  (cc530) on 28/11/99

The "Grand guide des Pyrénées", published by Editions Milan, contains a very interesting glossary of Basque place names.
What is striking on first reading is the large number of Basque names referring to nature (woods, streams, rocks, pastures, etc.). Anyone who has cycled the roads or tracks of the Basque Country will have fond memories of the "little" passes with their impressive percentages. The Basque language seems to be very rich in describing this very special terrain, which is why there are sites whose names have the following roots:

• Aguerre: a high, open place.
• Aitz: rocky point or Atxegu: isolated rock
• Aran: valley, Arana or Haranea: the valley.
• Arri: stone, rock, also known as arrietta: rocky site, arçubi: stone bridge, ararte: defile, gorge etc...
• Karzé: hill, high place.
• Buru: head, tip, end, top.
• Cap, capo: end, top, head.
• Egi: slope.
• Gain (very frequent) high, peak. Gagneko: from above.
• Garate or Garati: summit, highest point.
• Goi: upper part, Goyen, Goiko: from above. 

There is an abundance of vocabulary to describe peaks and ridges, but what about the passes that are so dear to us?
The number of words is slightly more limited:

• Meha, étroit, Mehatze, meaca: small pass, step, passage.
• Lepo, lepoa, lepoua: collar (this is the most common name).

Finally, it's fun and instructive to find out the meaning of the names of some of the passes, all of which are deeply rooted in Basque culture:

• Orgambide: carriageway: 64-1284: Orgambidesca pass, 64-0958: Orgambide pass.
• Burdin: iron: 64-1092: Burdincurrutcheta Pass, meaning Iron Cross Pass, 64-0892: Burdin Olatze Pass (ola=forge).
• Haritz: sessile oak: 64-0784: Haritzcurutche pass (oak cross? oak cross?).
• Egi or Hegui: slope, ridge: 64-1313: Heguichouria pass.
• Curutche, Kurutz: cross: 64-1285b col de Curutche, 64-0557: Curutche lépoa, both mean: col de la Croix, 64-0921 col de Curutcheta.
• Mendi: mountain, 64-0435b: Mendiko lépoa, 64-1362b: Erroymendi pass.
• Zabal: large area, 64-0503: Askonzabal pass
• Artzu, Hartze, Harritzu, Arrieta: rocky site: 64-0666: Artzaley pass.
• Oihan : woods : 64-0895b : Oyanbeltze pass.
• Ibar : valley : 64-0966 : Ibarburia pass.
• Ola, Olha: hut, forge: 64-1245 Ohlazarreko lépoa.
• Bide, bie: path, way. Bidea, bidia: road, 64-1567 Bidegorritako lepoua.

Good luck on your journey, and may this little glossary help you to climb the terrible slopes of the Basque Country.

Michel de Brébisson (cc1315)

As a complement to René Poty's publication on this site, I offer you a supplement which, as the author says, should help you to find the meaning of a large number of place names on the map of France.

Ref: extract from the GLOSSARY of DIALECTIC TERMS used to find the meaning of a large number of place names on the map of France by A. PÉGORIER, geographer. [ign 1963].