The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-05
THE BASQUES
By A. LATADy.

bs A. t4AIA
 Owing to the fact that General Joffre of the French army is of Bas6ue extraction, and to the further fact that General Foch is Basque. great interest in these people whose ori- gin is lost amid the impenetrable recesses of prehistoric times has been aroused of late. and much has been written and much said regarding them.
 They occupy the Basque provinces of Biscay or Viscay, Alava, and siiu- puzcoa, and Navarro in Spain, and the arrondissments of Bayonne and Maul- son in France, and it is worthy of note that the name by which as pco- pie, they are known. in their own lan- guage, bears more than 8 fanciful re- lation to the "Biscano," or sViscano." by which the Spanish Basque is at all times proud to distinguish himself and which appellation may be traced by more than a fancied relation to the Greek word of similar significance py which they were. no doubt, known to the Greeks of the prehistoric tines
 These Basques have ever been noted Tor their sharp, incisive tongues, and for their marvellous powers of invec- tive and vituperation if occasion de. mands. or justifies. and it is there Tore, worthy of note that the Greek word "Baskaino," having this same significance. bears such a close rela- tionship both in sound and signifi- canoe to the name by which they of the Spanish provinces distinguish themselves, and to this remarkable tongue-trait of theirs of which tho elder Dumas has made such capital in his delinea tions of the Gascon oi Vas
 con. characters he has treated in his romances.
 The Greek word in it's derivation and derivatives. forms part of the Greek language. and is not a term adopted into that language from others, or from the name by which people pos sessing the characteristic above men, toned were known among themselves in their own language, for, in the language of the Basques they are known among themselves as "Eskual- dunak." and which word, remarkable to relate, signifies people possessing clearness of speech. and if Dumas is to be believed. these Basques are eer- tafnly past-masters in the art of tongue fencing
 To give an illustration from the familiar-the people who in former times occupied the country which we now call France. or a large part of it, at least. as I have in mind the com mentaries of Caesar regarding them, were. in their language called Celts, and as consequence the words Cclt, Celtic. Celticism. and Celticize are derived from this word by which in their language. they were known among themselves; whereas. the equiv alent words Gallic, Gallican, Gallican- ize and Gallicism. are derived from the name "Galli," by which these people were called in the Latin language.
 It is further to be noted that the Greek pronounce3 his letter "B" as We do our letter "v," and that the Spaniard proncunces his letter 'v'' as we do our letter "B." and the indiffer- ent spellings. Biseava, Viscaya, Bis caino. and Viscaino. are easily ac- counted for
 It is no far cry to Lochow, there fore. that in prehistoric times, when the Greeks first came in contact with these people. they called them by that name in their own language which was expressive of the most marked characteristics of these Basques, or by that word in Greek. which was the equivalent of the word by which. in their language. these s'Eskualdunak' called themselves. It may be further interesting to note that like their first cousins (linguistically speaking). the Welsh. whose language they under stand. they form their family names by the use of a species of possessive fornnAof the name of the father of the mily. The Welsh have their DaviK possessive form of Davii. the English having their Davidson.