Translation and Basque unification and standardization. Review and thoughts on half a century of history
Abstract
The 1968 meeting in Aratzazu of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language laid the foundations for the unification and standardization of the Basque language. Basque society reclaimed the political authority needed to carry out the standardization process, and from that point on, translation has played an essential role in that process, not only in combatting the prevailing situation of diglossia (by translating into Basque the experiences of Basque citizens expressed in their Spanish or French), but also by testing and establishing the basic discourses that would allow the Basque language to claim its place in modern life and move forward (in administration, in the media, in education). One cannot deny the importance of translation in the Basque language revitalization process, which is consistent with that in the case of other languages as well. However, the time has come to examine future challenges and new courses of action for Basque translation.
