Elkarrizketa Interview

HENRIKE KNÖRR Member of Euskaltzaindia

Lehenengo aldia izan da Euskaltzaindia gaztelaniaren « cannot wash its inguruko biltzar batetara joaten dela. Iaz Hizkuntzaren Akademiak Rosarion burututako “III Congreso de hands of the language la Lengua”n Henrike Knörrek hartu zuen parte baina ekitaldi hau aprobetxatu issue» zuen euskaltzainak Hego Ameriketako zenbait elkartekin biltzeko eta Euskaltzaindia, the Academy of the languages in Spain; and we should Kongresu ofizialaren , was invited for also point out that an entire day was the first time to take part in the dedicated to indigenous languages of inguruan antolatu zen biltzar Third Congress of the Spanish America." paralelora hurbiltzeko. E Language held in November 2004 in Euskararen egoeraz mintzatu Rosario, Argentina. At the gathering the Basque zen Knörr bilera honetan, academician saw that the people in gaztelaniaz gain, Estatu Euskaltzaindia member Henrike charge of the Academy of the Espainoleko eta Ameriketako Knörr represented the Academy at Spanish Language and the Cervantes beste zenbait hizkuntzaz the congress. In his opinion, with the Institute "are not closed to other new political environment in Spain languages; at the Cervantes Institute aritu bait ziren "it was thought that there could be a Catalonian is taught when there is biltzarkideak. section dedicated to the other demand and it's not out of the

22 elkarrizketa Issue 66 Year 2005 Elkarrizketa Interview

question that the same could happen the secondary school phase, a with Euskara. They're also looking minimum knowledge of the into the possibility of adding books languages spoken in Spain could be «Estatu espainola in Basque to their library and “ of great interest." including a link to Euskaltzaindia in gehiago arduratu the Cervantes website." The beharko litzeteke Writers also took part in the Cervantes Institute, currently headed espainolaz aparte discussion between Catalonians, by Andalusian writer Antonio Muñoz Galicians and Basques, with Anjel Molina, has different offices in Latin ofizialak diren Lertxundi representing the Basque American, including Brazil. hizkuntzak contingent. "We spoke about our babesterakoan. reality and the need to open up While in Rosario Henrike Knörr gave channels for mutual understanding a presentation on the linguistic Adibidez: Madrilen bizi with Mexicans, Argentineans, realities of the Basque language. He den batek, zergatik ezin Guatemalans, and so on. The spoke about the number and du Euskal Telebista indigenous communities of Mexico geographical distribution of Basque ikusi kable were surprised to hear about the speakers both past and present. He Basque case and the successful also discussed theories on the origin sistemarekin ez bada?» process of linguistic unification that of the language and its relationship got under way at the to other languages. In his words Congress in 1968. As Koldo "nothing is absolutely certain, but we presentation by pointing out that Mitxelena once said: 'the congress do know that Basque was spoken in even though Euskara is different was not organized to invent anything the Aquitaine region and Upper from surrounding languages, many new, but rather to see what Rioja, areas where it later died out." structures denote linguistic tendencies writers had with regard He talked about how Latin ceased to coexistence over the centuries. The to a uniform literary language. '" be the official language, giving way Basque future tense of the verb, to Spanish. "I also discussed the ikusiko dut, for example, is very The 'congress within a congress' dynamic beginnings of Basque similar to the Romance language literature in Iparralde, and how it structure veré, which linguists A parallel event was held at the eventually became less important, analyze as ver habré, or "I will have same time, the so-called Congress of and about the onset in the mid- seen," i.e. the equivalent of ikusiko Languages, inaugurated by Nobel eighteenth century of the so-called dut." Peace Laureate, Pérez Esquivel. In 'Larramendi shakeup'. Larramendi his inaugural address, Esquivel said was the person who made it clear that "with a single word we can love Galicians and Catalonians that something had to be done to or destroy like a weapon." prevent the decline of Euskara, and Henrike Knörr also participated in a to stop the neglect on the part of the debate together with representatives Henrike Knörr attended a people, mainly priests. Larramendi from the Galician and Catalonian presentation by José Saramago, was the classic language scholar, a language academies. All three saying that "He felt he was being man who wrote both a grammar and expressed their concerns with the part of a parallel or even a dictionary. It has come to light that central government, saying that 'complementary' congress rather Larramendi did a lot more writing in "Spain could not wash its hands of than a countercongress. In this Euskara than previously thought. the language issue," adding that congress, the atmosphere was a little Thanks to his example, many people there were things that could be done more non-conformist and some of began to write in Euskara. The end "in a civilized manner." In Knörr's the messages were more than purely of the nineteenth century, a century opinion, "Banknotes and stamps, for linguistic. marked by war and hardship, example, could be printed in all four witnessed the birth of Basque official languages. Another obvious The academician took advantage of journalism. My presentation took us aspect is television. Why can't the occasion to visit some of the up to the present, touching on such someone living in Madrid watch Basque centers, where he noticed a sad episodes as the Civil War and its Basque TV without having to get lack of some of the basic literature dreadful consequences for the cable? We wanted to put on record on the Basque Country and Basque language. I also discussed that other languages have to be language. In some cases, such as the recovery of the language, taken into account. When the Fundación Juan de Garay, focusing on the 1970s and after the Academy visited Esperanza Aguirre, agreements have already been Statute of Gernika was set in place, the Spanish Minister of Education drawn up with Euskaltziandia to which brought about the Basque and Culture at the time, it was remedy the sparseness of their Language Law of 1982. I ended the brought to her attention that during libraries.

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