Basque in the Spanish Newspaper Discourse as an Instrument for Maintaining Political Identity

Abstract

This article deals with the use of words in the language of Basques in Spanish-language print media. The research hypothesis was as follows: the use of Basque in the Spanish newspaper discourse has a political background and is directly related to the political course and aspirations of the Basque authorities. In the research, the authors used the historical method. It allowed considering the importance of the language of Basques for the nationalist struggle of the region since the end of the 19th century. The method of content analysis allowed identifying Basque words which are most frequently used in Spanish newspapers. It allowed the application of the method of quantitative analysis of the use of these words in selected publications for all the time of existence of the electronic archive. The author found the method of comparative analysis of the data obtained and the method of interrogation through questionnaires. As a result of the research, the author revealed that all the Basque words which are most often used in Spanish newspapers are related to politics and can be translated into Spanish without loss of meaning. According to the public opinion survey, the Basque words in Spanish newspapers create a sense of uniqueness of political phenomena occurring in the Basque Country, which contributes to strengthening the image of the isolation of the region. It is one of the political goals of the leadership of the Basque Country — the recognition of the Basques as a nation equally with the Spanish nation, as well as the establishment of special partnership and relations between the region and Spain. The image of the unique Basque nation can contribute to the realisation of the old dream of Basque nationalists —the unification of the Basque Land (Basque Country, part of Navarra and French Iparralde) on a national basis.