Older Spelling

Level 6

Read ch and tch as today's tx, and c or qu as k: echea, etchea = etxea (the house). A missing h is also common: ori = hori.

How It Works

1. Old letters and their modern forms.

  • ch (Spanish style) or tch (French style) → tx: Echeverría, Etcheverry → Etxeberria, Etxeberri. See tz, ts and tx.
  • ch in Northern texts, where it stood for the x sound → x: Axular's ichilik = ixilik (Standard isilik, quietly)
  • c (before a, o, u) and qu (before e, i) → k: Jaungoicoa → Jaungoikoa
  • gu before e and i → g: eguin → egin
  • ç → z: Çubiri → Zubiri
  • y → i: Ynchausti → Intxausti

2. The letter h. Southern speakers do not pronounce h, so Southern texts often left it out: ori, emen, ura for hori, hemen, hura. The h was the most debated point of the new rules, and it was brought in step by step. See the letters h and j.

3. Variation is old. Already in 1643, Axular wrote that one writer spells a word chehero and another gehero, each following the habits of his own area.

4. Names today. Many surnames and some place names are still written the old way in official documents. Wikipedia lists spellings such as Echeverría and Detcheverry for Etxeberria. See place-name and surname endings.

Tip: Read an old word aloud. If it sounds like a word you know, it usually is that word.

Examples (5)

  1. Echean nago.

    I am at home. (Modern spelling: Etxean nago.)

    ch stands for today's tx.

  2. Ori ez da egia.

    That is not true. (Modern spelling: Hori ez da egia.)

    Many Southern texts left out h.

  3. Jaungoicoaren izenean.

    In the name of God. (Modern spelling: Jaungoikoaren izenean.)

    c stands for today's k.

  4. Eguin dezagun.

    Let's do it. (Modern spelling: Egin dezagun.)

    gu before i stands for today's g.

  5. Batak eskiribatzen du chehero, bertzeak gehero.

    One writer spells it chehero, another gehero.

    Axular (1643) on how spelling differed from area to area.

Common Mistakes

  • Using old letters in modern writing.

    Echera noa.
    Etxera noa.

    Standard Basque writes tx. ch belongs to old texts and to some official surnames.

  • Leaving out h in Standard Basque.

    Emen bizi naiz.
    Hemen bizi naiz.

    Many speakers do not pronounce h, but the standard spelling keeps it: hemen, hori, hura.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Older SpellingLevel 6

Learn This First

Older spelling follows affricates and h.