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Gipuzkoan (Guipuzcoano in [[Spanish language|Spanish) is a dialect of the Basque language spoken mainly in the province of Gipuzkoa in Basque Country but also in a small part of Navarre. It is as central dialect, spoken in the central and eastern part of Gipuzkoa and the Comarca de La Barranca region of Navarre.

Area

Gipuzkoan is not spoken all over Gipuzkoa, but roughly in the area from the Deva River to the River Oiartzun.

The Western strip between Leintz-Gatzaga and Elgoibar is part of the Biscayan dialect area, while the River Oiartzun and the River Bidasoa form the border with the Upper Navarrese dialect. However, borders between Gipuzkoan and High Navarrese are gradually disappearing as Standard Basque is beginning to impact the traditional dialects, especially among younger Basques.

Variants of Gipuzkoan

Within Gipuzkoan, there are four main sub-dialects:

• The Beterri variant (from the area surrounding Tolosa, towards San Sebastián).
• The Goierri variant.
• The Urola variant (from Zarautz to Mutriku).
• Navarrese Gipuzkoan (Burunda, Echarri-Aranaz).

Historical role

Gipuzkoan is one of the four dialects known as the literary dialects of Basque (Biscayan, Lapurdian, Souletin and Gipuzkoan). It was used in Basque literature from the 17th century onwards but, as were the two other literary dialects, it only enjoyed a minor role during the period of dominance of the Lapurdian dialect. This was due to the fact that the centre of Basque literary production was in Labourd during the 16th, 17th and most of the 18th century.

Gipuzkoan and Standard Basque

Gipuzkoan vocabulary was used as the main source for in Standard Basque, a standardised dialect of the Basque language used in teaching and the media.

See also

• Euskaltzaindia, the Royal Academy of the Basque Language

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