COMPARING BASQUE AND THE DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGES
THE MAIN DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGES.
About one quarter of India's population speaks Dravidian, a language family usually
considered to have four branches:
- Northwest: Brahui, spoken in Baluchistan,
- Northeast: Kurukh and Malto in Bengal,
- Central: Telugu, Kui and Kolami-Parji,
- South: Tamil, Kannada, Tulu, Malayalam, Bagada, Toda, Kota and Kodagu.
There are four major languages, each having its own independent script and literature
dating from pre-Christian times:
- Telugu (Te), the state language of Andhra Pradesh, spoken by some 60 million people.
- Tamil (Ta), the state language of Tamilnadu, spoken by about 45 million people.
- Kannada, also called Kanarese (Ka), of the state of Karnataka with about 34 million
speakers.
- Malayalam (Ma), the state language of Kerala, with some 25 million speakers.
The Dravidian language family was first described in 1816 by Francis Ellis, a British
civil servant who recognized the relationship between the four literary languages as well
as Tulu, Kodagu and Malto. In 1856 Robert Caldwell added several more languages, Kota,
Toda, Gondi, Kui, Kurukh and Brahui. He then took the Sanskrit word dravida,
supposedly meaning "Tamil," and used it to name the family. We may presume
that Dravidian was the language of all of India before ca.1500 B.C., a language which must
have been identical, or almost so, with the Saharan language, at the time the migration
took place. This was a more primitive form of modern Basque but the Basque dictionary
could still be used to translate the Dravidian names and words in this article.
IN INDIA, BASQUE CAN BE DETECTED EVERYWHERE.
We don't have to look far in India to recognize Basque-related names and words, such
as:
Himalaya, ima-alaia, imajina (image, scenery) alaia (pleasing):
"Pleasing scenery."
Harappa, the famous 5000 year old city in Pakistan; harapa means
"plundered" in Basque, from harapatu (to plunder), which therefore can
hardly be considered the true name of the city.
Goa, abbreviated from goardia (to stand guard), referring to the town's
defenses.
Bihar, from bi-iha-ar, ibi-iha-arro, ibildari (nomadic) iha'urri (to
scatter, to roam) arro (proud): "Proud roaming nomads."
In the spoken language we find thousands of examples of words related to Basque, such
as kut (in Malto) meaning "to burn", kutu (in Tamil) meaning
"to be hot, to heat up", while kutxer (in Basque) means "frying
pan" in which xer or xerra means "small steak" (in Basque the
"x" is pronounced as "sh"). The Dravidian words ole (hearth,
fireplace) and ola (inside) correspond exactly to Basque ola (cabin, hut).
Being unable to read the different scripts in use by the Dravidian peoples, I took the
easy way out and used the transliterations and Basque translations provided by Dr. N.
Lahovary in "Dravidian Origins and the West", published by Orient
Longmans, Bombay, 1963. The page numbers in the following list refer to his book.
Page Dravidian English
Basque English
164 ura
wife
urruxa
female
165 irru (Ta) to bring forth
errun to lay eggs
165 iru
to be
iruditu
to resemble
165 il
to be
illi (Berber) to be
165 ul (Ta) to
exist ulertu
to understand
165 aru
to give birth
aur
child
166 ali (Ma) woman
ala
girl
166 ir (Brahui) sister
arre
sister
167 kappu (Ka) meat
kaba(l)
domestic animal
167 odal (Te) body
odol
blood
167 biho
heart
bihotz
heart
167 pala
flesh
opa offering
167 iracci (Ma) meat
aragi meat
168 suri (S.Dr) to pour
isuri
to pour
168 ana (Ka) breath
asnasa
respiration
168 naru (S.Dr) odour
narru
skin
168 usir (Ka) breath
usna
smell
168 u-suru nose
sur
nose
169 sindu (Ka) bad smell
sund-da
stink
169 kuku (Malto) summit
kukula
summit, peak
170 buru (Te) something round bular/burar
breast
171 karata (Ka) skull, coconut garaun
skull brain
171 mula (Ma) brain
muin brain
171 kara
height
garai high,
prominent
171 bhala
forehead
belar (Zuber) forehead
172 gadda
chin
ganga
mouth
172 ba (Ka) mouth
abo
mouth
174 begu (Ka) to spy
behatu
to observe
175 kan (Brahui) to know
ikan to
look
175 aks (S.Dr) sight
ikus
to see
175 vili
eye
igi
eye
175 mugu (Ka) face
musu face
175 muso (Malto) nose
musu face
175 muti (Ka) face
mutur
snout
175 motu (Ta) stupidity
mutur
snout
175 mukka-ra(Te) nose-ring
moko beak
176 musu (Ka) to smell
mustur snout
176 ba (Ka) mouth
abo mouth
177 appu (Ka) to embrace
apa
kiss
178 alasu (Ta) to rinse
latsatu
to wash
180 ele (Te) song
ele story
180 gol (Ka) throat
golo
goitre
180 karai (Ta) to cry out
garrasi shrill
cry
181 kar-utti (Ma) neck
garondo
nape of the neck
182 kai (Tulu) hand
uka hand
183 kurukh(C.Dr) to seize
kargatu
to load
183 kadi (S.Dr) to steal
kaldar thief,
scoundrel
184 adi (S.Dr) foot
adar
foot of chair
184 anga (Tel) stride
anka foot
186 karu (Tu) leg
garra
(Navar) leg
188 ola (Ka) inside
ola
cabin, hut
189 bikku (S.Dr) heart
bihotz
heart
189 alku (Ta) vulva
alu
vulva
190 eru (Ka) dung
errai
dung
191 tottu (Ma) nipple
titi nipple
191 borra (Te) potbelly
zilbor
navel
192 pal (Ka) milk
galatz milk
192 putti (S.Dr) to be born
puta womb
193 pukku (S.Dr) vulva
puta womb
195 tshika (Tulu) small child txiki
small
195 tkuri (S.Dr) short
korro
short
195 tkittu (S.Dr) small
kuto small
196 iri (S.Dr) sick
eri
sick
196 kira (Gond) old man
kira age
agura
old man
agure
old man
197 ala (Ta) affliction
aldia
mental disorder
197 eriyu (Te) to grieve
auri
lamentation
197 karai (Ta) to cry out
garrasi cry,
scream
197 madi (Ta) death
amata to
kill
197 mara (Ka) death
marrakari
tearful
198 malagu (Ta) to perish
malgu soft,
weak
199 adu (S.Dr) age
adin age
199 gasi (S.Dr) hunger
gose hunger
199 manku (S.Dr) staggering
mainku
crippled, lame
199 ala (Ta) afflicted
alusu
feeble, weak
199 alasu (Ka) exhausted
lazu weak
man
200 elli (Te) night
ilun darkness
200 lamba (S.Dr) to totter
laban slippery,
sliding
201 ema (Ta) mother,
female ama
mother
201 amma (Ka) female
ama
mother
201 pen (S.Dr) woman
pena sorrow,
grief
201 ali
woman
alaba daughter,
native of...
201 al
male
ar male
202 unmu (Ka) birth
ume child
202 maintu (Ta) love
maita
love
202 maru-vu (Ta) intimacy
marruskatze fondling,
pawing
202 appu (Ka) to embrace
apatz
to kiss
203 manju (S.Dr) amiable
maina liking,
pampering
203 iru (Ta) come into
existence iruditu to appear
203 uru (Ta) to give
birth aru (Berber) to be born
204 atta (Malto) grandfather aita
father
204 apa (S.Dr) father
ata
father (child's)
204 ana (Ta) brother
anai brother
204 asa (Kui) daughter
aizpa
sister
204 ari
she
arreba
sister
205 ila (Ta) youth
iloba niece
207 maran (Ta) bravery
mardul
robust, strong
207 marru
enemy
amarru
cunning, shrewd
208 buti (Ka) man servant
botoi
man servant
210 burade (S.Dr) head
buru
head
210 bhuka
opening
bukatu
to end
210 kara
height
garai
high
210 gubbi (Ka) hump
gupi
deformed spine
210 kerki (Tulu) throat
gurka
throat
210 suri (S.Dr) to pour
isuri to
pour
210 khala
thief
kaldar thief
210 kiram (Ta) old
kira period
of time
210 konku
curved
makur
roundness
210 in (Brahui) to say
min tongue
210 pura (Malto) belly
para belly
358 ari
rock
arri rock
359 kabi
cave, hollow
kabia nest,
hollow
360 kam
something round kamuts
blunt
360 kuku
summit, peak
kukula summit, peak
360 men (Ma) mound,
hillock mendi
mountain
360 murru
wall, quarry murru
wall
361 padu
village
padur etxe
lake dwelling
361 turu
hill, mound
torre
tower
361 mugul (Ka) flowerbud
mugil flowerbud
362 bar (Ka) stream, to
flow ibar rivervalley
362 ala (Te) wave, surge
olatu
wave
362 garo (Kui) deep hollow,dig goratu
to raise, to carry up
362 tura-i
stream, ond iturri
source of water
362 sala (Ka) to enter
salazar country
house
363 kara (Ta) to wash
garastatu
to sprinkle, to water
363 pani (Ta) rain
panin (Zuber)
water
THE GENETIC RELATIONSHIP.
A group of comparative linguists in the U.S.A. developed a system which they called the
"lexico-statistical method" and attempted to put a percentage figure on the
degree in which languages are related (M.Swadesh, Linguistics to-day, 1954). It is based
on the percentage of resemblances between 200 words considered to be essential in a
language:
- the oldest names for parts of the body and its functions
- pronouns and numerals
- names for dwellings, children and families
- domestic animals
The well-known Basque linguist A. Tovar followed this method to measure the degree of
kinship of Basque with other languages of non-Indo-European origin. The closest
relationship he found was with Berber (11%) followed by Circaskian/Kirrukaskan (7.5%),
Coptic (6.5%), Arabic (3.25%). Then he asked Dr. Lahovary to try this method on Dravidian,
with the astounding result of 50+%. This meant that, of all the languages tested so far,
the Dravidian language was closest to Basque by far. However, the ease with which I
assembled the long list of related Basque-Ainu words, makes it likely that Ainu could even
be closer to early Basque than Dravidian. A student of the lexico-statistical method
should test this possibility.
This method is of no use with invented languages such as Latin, Greek, Sanskrit,
Hebrew, English, German etc. because all of these are made up almost 100% by formulaic
manipulation and mutilation of the Basque/Saharan language.
WHY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BASQUE AND DRAVIDIAN?
It must have been a calamity of unprecedented scale which drove such large numbers of
people from their homes in the once well-populated Sahara, starting about 10,000 B.C. Some
of the Sahara tribes living along the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian ocean shores had
developed excellent skills in boat building, sailing techniques and star navigation, which
specialized knowledge was carefully guarded by the families involved. They became later
known to the Egyptians as the Sea Peoples. Other tribes in the interior had no
relationship to salt water and were dependent upon the Sea Peoples for ocean transport
when the time came to seek a new homeland. All of these people had the same Goddess
religion, a universal language called Saharan and strong oral traditions. It is likely
that their Saharan language was the only highly developed language in the entire world at
that time, the product of a marvelous oral educational tradition. History proved that they
were well equipped for pioneering anywhere in the wide world. As Lahovary writes:
"one of the most common linguistic phenomena is the ease with which a new language
can impose itself on vast masses, even if spoken only by a relatively small minority,
should this minority have political power or the prestige of superior civilization"
(p371). To political power and civilization we might add the vibrant Goddess religion of
the Saharans. The present evidence of significant remnants of the Saharan language in
distant parts of the world shows that their language took hold wherever they settled.
All of these people believed absolutely in re-incarnation, which meant that a person,
with all his/her knowledge and experiences, would live on in a newborn when the body died.
Risk taking was part of the joy of living, even if lives of productive people were
frequently lost. Reincarnation would then restore the deceased person to active life. It
was all part of living. As a result, these people were timeless and they totally believed
that it was their duty to continue with the tasks and ideals of their previous lives. They
had no idea of what we call history because they were history themselves. A son would
always follow in the footsteps of his incarnation, whether farmer, ocean navigator,
herdsman or fisherman, a system which created enormous stability in their civilization,
and which was also at the root of the caste system. The women were responsible for the
home-front, the men for the out-service which included long distance exploration, ocean
travel and trading, whaling, fishing etc.
Several writers have speculated about the origin of the Dravidian people and how they
acquired their language and religion. There are two main theories. Most of the Saharans
were white-skinned, but in or near Ethiopia there lived a population of dark-skinned and
black people (and still there) who did not have the usual negro characteristics. It may
have been this population from which the Dravidians descended. They may have been one of
the last tribes to be forced to migrate when the killer drought finally hit their area.
Another theory is that the refugees from the Sahara were white, who then entered the land
of the indigenous people of India and introduced their language and religion. Like
happened elsewhere, this probably quite small population of immigrants mixed with the dark
skinned local population and in time the white characteristic were totally submerged. I
favour this theory. Sailing east some 5 or 6,000 years ago, they had found Mesopotamia
already fully occupied so they settled in the fertile Indus valley, where they built their
villages which around 2,500 B.C. grew into major cities like Mohenjo-Daro and
"Harappa". The Goddess religion was retained by them and further developed into
the characteristic and artistic religion of today. The Saharan language was mixed with the
indigenous languages of the people and over time these evolved into a number of related
languages.
It must be noted that the Basques and the Dravidians have never been in physical
contact with each other, living in widely separated areas, therefore the language they
shared with the Dravidians must have been acquired from a common, Central Saharan source.
The Basques and Berbers have a special characteristic which the Dravidians do not have:
Rh-negative blood. If these tribes had ever been in close contact, that characteristic
would have been evident today.
THE COMING OF MALE DOMINATION.
Some 3,800 years ago the thriving land of the Indus civilization attracted a large
land-migration of tall, white herdsmen, coming from the Near East or the Sahara. They
brought with them a new religion which they had created by turning the Goddess religion
inside out. Where the old society was a gentle and matrilineally organized, yet
egalitarian society, the newcomers were patriarchal warriors and extremely dictatorial;
they promoted writing and forbade the maintenance of the ancient oral traditions. A start
was made with the creation of a new language, later called Samskrta (Sanskrit), and
eventually the speaking of the Universal language was forbidden. Under this new order the
formerly highly respected and independent women became the property of fathers and
husbands, to be given away, used, punished or disposed off at will, never to be without
supervision of a man. They no longer had any say in the running of the tribe. For the
resident dark-skinned Dravidians the choice was either the newcomers' way or slavery. The
Dravidian peoples chose not to submit and decided to flee from the Indus valley. The
newcomers, being herdsmen, had no knowledge of city management or desire to live in this
manner and the ancient cities were plundered and abandoned. Those who stayed, mixed in
with the new population and in time altered the character of the Caucasian herdsmen to
create the distinctive race of people we see today in northern India and Pakistan. The
majority of the Dravidians fled south and entered the area of other tribes which move
created a domino effect of new and sometimes bloody conflicts, one of which, the Tamil
fight for Sri Lanka, is still making headlines in our newspapers today.
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