abertzale

A dictionary of Spanish history and culture

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abertzale A Basque word coined in the 19th century by dodgy nationalist Sabino Arana to mean `patriotic’ or `patriot’. It comes from the fusion of “aberri(a)” (”fatherland”) with the suffix “-(t)zale” (someone who loves, is a friend of, has affection towards, or dedicates him- or herself to something).

Today the word is used to mean `Basque nationalist’ in the broad sense within Euskadi and the militant followers of the banned Batasuna in the rest of Spain. As Wikipedia points out “the fact that the followers of the rival Basque Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV) call themselves jeltzales more than abertzales, has brought about a situation where the word is strongly associated with that particular current of Basque nationalism. ” - ie supporters of the banned Batasuna.

See also

kale barroka

what are abertzale, how do you say abertzale in English? what does abertzale mean? abertzales in Basque Country