🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

        Kaixo sarezaleok,

        These few last days I have been reading all the messages attached
to the ethimology of some Basque surnames, as Etchevers, Erramouspe,
Echanove. Following Koldo Mitxelena's studies about Basque surnames'
ethimology (I can say nothing about them as I'm not a linguist) I would
like to explain the ethimology of the surnames related above as a few
years ago Koldo Mitxelena wrote in his 'Apellidos Vascos' book.


        (1) Echebers, Echeberts, Etchebers, Echeberz,
                                                 Chavez, Echebest -> v. Echebest
   e.
        Echebeste:

        etxe, etse: house. (...)

                ber(t)ze: another. As Vinson, etchebertze must be understood as
        "maison autre, accessoire, secondaire, dependant de la principale"
        (Gure Herria, V. 632). For Gavel (Ph. b., 229-230) Etchevers,
        Etchebes, Chavez, Echeveste, etc.) are just synonims of Etcheverry,
        etc. (...)

        As I know, the form bertze if very often used (it's only used, I
would say) in the eastern dialects of Basque, that is to say, the whole
Iparralde (Lapurdi, Behe-Nafarroa and Zuberoa) and Nafarroa. That is
why etchevers (with a French writing) or Etxeberz belong to this
Basque area. On the other hand, Etxebeste and so on could be related as
surnames from Gipuzkoa or Bizkaia.

        It seems that Koldo Mitxelena bets for the first ethimology and not
for the second one. Nonetheless, lots of times, it's very difficult
to guess the ethimology of surnames and place-names and that is why we
should never believe an ethimology as a real one when this one offers
a few doubts, even if they might be considered quite remote.



        (2) Erramouspe.

                (h)otz: cold. (...) Iturrioz, Iturrospe. It might be appear in B
   errospe,
        Erramouspe (from erramu - laurel) (...)

                -pe: Variation of -be: Harispe, Inchauspe. In some cases, this s
   uffix
        may appear as -s -pe as in Berrospe, Erramouspe.


        (3) Echanove.

        etxe, etse: house. (...)

                -no: diminutive suffix. "Etxanoa, casa urbana de Man~aria (Bizk.
   ).
        Es una de las mas pequen~as de la calle" (L. de Eleizalde, RIEV XIX,
        383). (...) Written with -no we have surnames as Arano (Aranoa), Ariznoa
   ,
        Artano, Echano and Echanobe (domno Monnio de Eggano, Vizc. 1082, CSM 247
   )
        (...)

                be(h)e: ground, lower part (...)


        If you were interested in a book about the ethimology of Basque surnames
I can recommend you this one:

                        Apellidos Vascos
                        Luis Michelena

                        Editorial Txertoa
                        P.O. Box 767
                        20080 Donostia - San Sebastian


        Besterik gabe, hurrengo mail-mezura arte.



                                                Jonmikel