I.

Introduction

Basques, people living in north-central Spain, primarily in two autonomous regions, the Basque Country (País Vasco) and Navarra, and in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of south-western France. Basque territory straddles the French/Spanish border; there are French Basques and Spanish Basques. The origins of the Basque people have long been a subject of scholarly research. Their ancient language, customs, and traditions distinguish them from all other peoples of Europe, and are probably the result of their relative isolation from the rest of Europe until recently. They refer to their homeland as Easkal-Hereia (Land of the Basques) or Euskadi (Country of the Basques). Attempts have been made by various scholars to link the Basque language with a number of non-Indo-European languages, but such connections are not accepted by the majority of linguists.