Basque (euskara) is a language isolate spoken in the Basque Country, in northern Spain and southwestern France. Its origins are not known, but it is believed to be one of the few surviving pre-Indo-European languages in Europe. Some say it is the most difficult language in Europe whereas others find it logical and love its bizarre-looking words – txistorra or ttoroa, anyone?


During this talk, you will learn about the history of Basque, about its characteristics – and exciting grammar! – as well as some useful everyday vocabulary. Ongi etorri!


Siru is a Finnish translator currently living in Barcelona. She holds a BA in Icelandic and an MA in Translation Studies, both from the University of Iceland. She started to learn English at the age of 9 and, out of curiosity, added new languages to her school subjects whenever they became available for her. She had 9 foreign languages in her upper secondary school diploma and learned some new ones as an adult. Besides languages and historical linguistics, Siru enjoys singing, knitting and planking.


This video was recorded at the Polyglot Gathering Online 2020 (https://www.polyglotgathering.com/).