Abertzale in the Basque language means roughly, "patriot", and is used to mean "Basque nationalist". It comes from the fusion of "aberri(a)" ("fatherland", a neologism created by Sabino Arana) with the suffix "-(t)zale" (someone who loves, is a friend of, has affection towards, or dedicates him- or herself to something). Basque (in Basque: Euskara) is the language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain and the adjoining region of South-Western France. ... Patriot or Patriots may refer to patriotism, as well as one of several other things. ... The Gernika oak is a symbol of Basque freedoms. ... A neologism is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) —often to apply to new concepts, or to reshape older terms in newer language form. ... Sabino Arana Goiri, self-styled as Arana ta Goiritaŕ Sabin (January 26, 1865 – November 25, 1903), founder of the Basque Nationalist Party and a pioneer of Basque nationalism. ...

Although the term is etymologically parallel to "patriot", its use in Basque and (even more so) in Spanish refers specifically to Basque nationalism. The use of the term by members and sympathizers of de Herri Batasuna (associated with the illegal armed group ETA), and 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 leftist current of Basque nationalism. The Gernika oak is a symbol of Basque freedoms. ... Batasuna (Unity) is a Basque political party based mainly in Spain but with a French presence, which is presumed to be associated with the Basque illegal armed group ETA. It is part of the Basque National Liberation Movement which includes social organizations, trade unions, youth (Jarrai and Gazteriak, now merged... The neutrality of this introduction is disputed. ... The Basque Nationalist Party is a political party in the Basque region of Spain. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ...

The Real Academia Española, the body that oversees Spain's official dictionary of the Spanish language, has officially recognized the adapted word "aberzale" (rather than "abertzale") as a Spanish-language word, with this narrower meaning; however, even in Spanish "abertzale" retains greater currency. The Real Academia Española (Spanish for Royal Spanish Academy; often RAE) is the institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language. ... Dictionary - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Several organizations past and present have used this word in their official Basque-language names:

• Abertzaleen Batasuna ("Union of Abertzales"): A political party in the French Basque Country.
• Emakume Abertzale Batza, onetime women's section of the PNV, made illegal by the rebel junta in Burgos during the Spanish Civil War.
• Euskal Abertzaletasunaren Museoa (Museum of Basque Nationalism).
• Ezker Mugimendu Abertzalea: A political party in the French Basque Country.
• Gazte Abertzaleak ("Abertzale Youths"): the youth group of the Spanish Basque political party Eusko Alkartasuna, left of the PNV but not aligned with ETA or Batasuna.
• Koordinadora Abertzale Sozialista (Abertzale Socialist Coordinating Council, KAS).
• The names Ezker Abertzalea (Izquierda Abertzale or "Abertzale Left"), Nafarroako Sozialista Abertzaleak ("Abertzale Socialist of Navarre") and Araba, Bizkai eta Gipuzkoako Sozialista Abertzaleak ("Abertzale Socialists of Álava, Vizcaya, and Guipúzcoa") have been used by various parliamentary groups of Herri Batasuna and Euskal Herritarrok in different parliaments.

The Abertzaleen Batasuna (Abertzale Unity) is a Basque political party in France. ... The Basque Country (Euskal Herria in Basque) straddles the western Pyrenees mountains that define the border between France and Spain, extending down to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. ... In modern usage, junta (pronounced as in Spanish HUN-ta or HOON-ta) typically refers to a military dictatorship, especially in Latin America, which is officially run by a committee of high-ranking military officers. ... The cathedral Our Lady of Burgos. ... The Spanish Civil War (July 1936–April 1939) was a conflict in which the incumbent Second Spanish Republic and political left-wing groups fought against a right-wing nationalist insurrection led by General Francisco Franco, who eventually succeeded in ousting the Republican government and establishing a dictatorship. ... Eusko Alkartasuna, Basque and Spanish regional political party, translated as Basque Solidarity and abbreviated as EA, is a party which describes itself as a Basque national, democratic, popular, progressive and non-denominational party. ... Navarre (Spanish Navarra, Basque Nafarroa) is an autonomous community and province of Spain. ... Álava province Álava (Basque: Araba) is a province of northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. ... (For the Vizcaya mansion in Florida, see Villa Vizcaya) Vizcaya province Vizcaya (Basque Bizkaia) is a province of northern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. ... Guipúzcoa province Guipúzcoa (Basque Gipuzkoa, in English sometimes as Guipuscoa) is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. ... The British Houses of Parliament, London, UK A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system derived from that of the United Kingdom. ... Batasuna (Unity) is a Basque political party based mainly in Spain but with a French presence, which is presumed to be associated with the Basque separatist armed group ETA. Their relation is similar to that of Northern Irelands Sinn Féin and the IRA. History and outline The party was...

External links

• The Museum of Basque Nationalism in Artea, Vizcaya explains the history of Basque nationalism from a perspective close to the PNV.

Artea is a town located in the province of Bizkaia, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the North of Spain. ...

References

• This article draws on the equivalent article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia, accessed December 6, 2004.