In front of you is a multicoloured wall. It is called ‘Euskara: Hizkuntzen hizkuntza’, ‘Basque: language of languages’.

It is a very special wall. It is shaped like a filing cabinet with drawers for words and sounds.
Each drawer contains a word that illustrates how Basque has coexisted in the past with other languages and how it has learned from them.

The Basque Country has always been a thoroughfare for people from many different cultures: Celts, Romans, Arabs, the French…

And each culture has left its mark on our language. Giving it words that we still use today in Basque. This has served to enrich our language.

Use both hands to open the drawers and pull on both sides. You will then hear a word that comes from that culture. You will also see an image, an object or a model.

The oldest words date from prehistory and are associated with animals and nature. Listen… What does the word for ‘water’ sound like? ‘Ur’.

Did you know that Basque has its own words for the sounds made by animals?

In relation to numbers, thanks to the Celts, Basque uses a vigesimal (or base-20) system.

From Latin we have inherited words such as ‘lege’ meaning ‘law’.

And ‘txoko’ comes from Arabic.

Do you want to learn where these words come from?

Today, Basque coexists with Spanish and French. They are our official languages, alongside Basque of course.
Discover which words we share!

And of course, English is also present in our vocabulary.

Take your time. Enjoy the sounds, the words and the surprises contained in each drawer.

The filing cabinet also talks about absences and difficult moments in the history of the Basque language. To explore these, look at the ‘empty drawers’ located at the bottom of the wall.

They are empty because they illustrate what our language has not had, such as

● great works from classical antiquity.
● education in the Middle Ages, since laws were written in Latin or one of the Romance languages.
● and finally, it has not been the main language for either communication or cultural transmission.

When you have finished, turn round to discover what Basque has contributed to other languages.