page_title: Basque language
section_title: Dialects
hierarchical_section_title: Basque language / Geographic distribution / Dialects
caption_attribution_description: English: Modern map of Basque dialects, developed by Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; Western dialect &#160;&#160; Central dialect &#160;&#160; Navarrese &#160;&#160; Navarrese-lapurdian &#160;&#160; Dialect of Soule &#160;&#160; Basque speaking places in the 19th century (according to Louis-Lucien Bonaparte's map) Esperanto: Mapo montranta la nunan distribuon de la eŭskaj dialektoj, laŭ Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; Okcidenta dialekto &#160;&#160; Centra dialekto &#160;&#160; Navara dialekto &#160;&#160; Navar-lapurda dialekto &#160;&#160; Suleta dialekto &#160;&#160; Hispanparolantaj zonoj kiuj estis eŭskparalantaj en la 19a jarcento (laŭ la mapo de Louis-Lucien Bonaparte) Català: Mapa mostrant la distribució contemporània dels dialectes de l'euskera, segons Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; dialecte occidental &#160;&#160; dialecte central &#160;&#160; dialecte navarrès &#160;&#160; dialecte navarro-labortà &#160;&#160; dialecte suletí &#160;&#160; àrees hispanòfones que foren vascòfones al segle XIX (d'acord amb el mapa de Louis-Lucien Bonaparte) Español: Mapa mostrando la distribución actual de los dialectos del euskera, según Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; dialecto occidental &#160;&#160; dialecto central &#160;&#160; dialecto navarro &#160;&#160; dialecto navarro-labortano &#160;&#160; dialecto suletino &#160;&#160; zonas hispanófonas que eran vascófonas en el siglo XIX (de acuerdo con el mapa de Louis-Lucien Bonaparte) Euskara: Koldo Zuazok atondutako euskalkien mapa modernoa: &#160;&#160; Mendebalekoa &#160;&#160; Erdialdekoa &#160;&#160; Nafarra &#160;&#160; Nafar-lapurtarra &#160;&#160; Zuberotarra &#160;&#160; XIX. mendean euskal hiztunak zituzten eremuak (Luis Luziano Bonapartek egindako maparen arabera) Français&#160;: Carte montrant la distribution actuelle des dialectes basques selon Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; dialecte occidental &#160;&#160; dialecte central &#160;&#160; dialecte navarrais &#160;&#160; dialecte navarro-labourdin &#160;&#160; dialecte souletin &#160;&#160; zones hispanophones qui étaient bascophones au XIXe siècle (selon la carte de Louis-Lucien Bonaparte) Português: Mapa da distribuição atual dos dialetos bascos, segundo Koldo Zuazo: &#160;&#160; dialeto ocidental &#160;&#160; dialeto central &#160;&#160; dialeto navarro &#160;&#160; dialeto navarro-labortano &#160;&#160; dialeto suletino &#160;&#160; áreas hispanófonas que eram vascófonas no século XIX (de acordo com o mapa de Louis-Lucien Bonaparte)
context_page_description: Basque is a language spoken in the Basque Country, a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of Northern Spain and Southwestern France. Linguistically, Basque is unrelated to the other languages of Europe and is a language isolate in relation to any other known living language. The Basques are indigenous to, and primarily inhabit, the Basque Country. The Basque language is spoken by 28.4% of Basques in all territories. Of these, 93.2% are in the Spanish area of the Basque Country and the remaining 6.8% are in the French portion.
  Native speakers live in a contiguous area that includes parts of four Spanish provinces and the three "ancient provinces" in France. Gipuzkoa, most of Biscay, a few municipalities of Álava and the northern area of Navarre formed the core of the remaining Basque-speaking area before measures were introduced in the 1980s to strengthen the language.
context_section_description: The modern Basque dialects show a high degree of dialectal divergence, sometimes making cross-dialect communication difficult. This is especially true in the case of Biscayan and Souletin, which are regarded as the most divergent Basque dialects.
  Modern Basque dialectology distinguishes five dialects:
  Biscayan or "Western"
  Gipuzkoan or "Central"
  Upper Navarrese
  Navarro-Lapurdian
  Souletin (Zuberoan)
  These dialects are divided in 11 subdialects, and 24 minor varieties among them.
  According to Koldo Zuazo, the Biscayan dialect or "Western" is the most widespread dialect, with around 300,000 speakers out of a total of around 660,000 speakers. This dialect is divided in two minor subdialects: the Western Biscayan and Eastern Biscayan, plus transitional dialects.
caption: The modern dialects of Basque according to 21st-century dialectology.   Western (Biscayan)  Central (Gipuzkoan)  Upper Navarrese  Lower Navarrese–Lapurdian  Souletin (Zuberoan)  other Basque areas ca 1850 (Bonaparte)
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