The world's most unusual mixed language - The Algonquian-Basque Pidgin

[@stephenpaul6839]

Hello. I'm Mikmaq and ive always known i was part Basque. And we. Confirmed it this year

[@koreyoneal2623]

On my mother's side I'm supposed to be Micmac . The story is that my 2nd or 3rd great grandfather came to the United States from Prince Edward Island , Canada , and anglicized his name . My 23&me DNA test would seem to have backed that up , I had point .4% Native American , that someone between 2-7 generations back was my great grandparent . Unfortunately , I have the paper trail which backs up the fact that he was born on Prince Edward Island but I found his baptism record , he was an infant when he was baptized and his name was William J . Ware and his name was William J . Ware when he was here in the United States !!! His father was born in England and his mother was born in Scotland , so the only thing that I can think of is that his parents might have lied about who and where they'd come from . I have over 10 , 000 people in my tree and I can't see anywhere else there'd be a Native American connection , so I don't know ....

[@SarayPerri]

Hiii I'm so glad as a basque to speak to a Mi'kmaq, it's an honor. Thank you to your land to treat well my ancestors ❤ huge hug from a native basque ❤ you're very much welcome here 🥰

[@deathbykandykay9773]

My Dakota side always has said the Algonquin side came here to turtle island... their island crashed into ours

[@joeyuzwa891]

This is so wholesome. Reminds me of the Polish/Haitian relationship.

[@CheLanguages]

I made a video on Basque-Icelandic pidgin, but this pidgin is even crazier!

[@FrithonaHrududu02127]

I watched your video too, but yeah I think he trumped you.

[@y.y3s.i.d081]

8:00 the plurals of Mi’kmaq I can attest with 100% certainty that it is indeed pure coincidence that plurals are pronounced with an “-ak” in both languages. In universal Algonquian grammar, nouns are classified as either animate or inanimate (apparently in Basque too, even more coincidentally). So plurals in Alg. languages will have two different ways of forming. Animate nouns are suffixed with the “-ak” while inanimate nouns are simply just “-a” for the plural. This is the same across the Alg. family from The Blackfoot to the Mi’kmaq. An example in my language Cree, the animate word “moose” is *môswa* and the plural of moose is *môswak* . (English gets moose from the Algonquian languages)

[@wyqtor]

Hungarian plurals also end in -k. Basque - Finno-Ugric connection confirmed!

[@loopyloon5401]

I figured that since many languages don't mark for plurality it was possible the Mi'kmaq got the concept from the Basque & it just spread across the Algonquian range through tribal intercourse.

[@y.y3s.i.d081]

@Loopy Loon I can understand that hypothesis. However, for the marking of plurality via usage of affixes bound to the noun stem, the Algonquian languages have historically been known to employ the usage of dependable morphemes to mark the plurality of nouns. A good example to show that this wasn’t a feature adopted into the language family through outside influences is within the Blackfoot (siksiká) language. BF is known to be among one of the most divergent languages of the Algonquian sub-branch. Through oral and archeological evidence of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, the BF are known to have resided in the western Canadian plains for approx. 5.5k years. The BF are likely to have been an early Algonquian sub-sect that stayed behind from an eastern-bound migration across the prairies in the late archaic stage of North America. The plurality marking that distinguishes between *Animate* and *Inanimate* nouns, that’s omnipresent in the Algonquian sub-family, is consistent in the BF language as well; a 5,500 year old language. For example: the inanimate word “Hill” is *ni’tómmoyi* “Hills” is *ni’tómmoistsi* The animate word “Man” is *nínaawa* “Men” is *nínaiksi* “Doll” is *atapííma* “Dolls” is *atapíímiksi* As you can see, the plural morpheme for animate nouns *-iksi* retains the /k/ sound from the mother language of Proto-Algonquian when following the plural discourse, albeit with an epenthesized /s/ following the /k/ to form /k͡s/

[@montxo68]

the -ak suffix in Basque being the plural mark is a mistake: this is the plural form of the absolutive case as well as the singular form of the ergative. The plural mark is embedded in the declantion system through the modification of the vowel infix, usually becoming an “e”: gizonak -> gizonek (ergative sing/pl the man (intrans verbI / the man (trans verb)), gizonari -> gizonei (dative sing/pl, to the man / to the men), gizonaren -> gizonen (genitive, of the man / of the men), and so on. Also, there are several mistakes in the Basque used in the video, which are not related to the dilaects or the variants of the language itself… Of course, this is a basic statement, things are a little bit more complex…

[@montxo68]

@@wyqtorsorry but no, sorry

[@davidbrewer9030]

The Basques and other groups in the westernmost parts of Europe knew about the great cod fishing areas at the Grand Banks just to the east of Newfoundland as early as the 1300s if nor earlier.

[@schloupi]

Merci pour cette information ! Où avez vous trouver ces éléments ?

[@davidbrewer9030]

There is a book in English - Mark Kurlansky is the author, the book is called "Cod". Here is an excerpt - History's first known cod-powered traveler, as Kurlansky tells it, was Eirik the Red, thrown out of Norway, with his father, for murder. Eirik and his dad traveled to Iceland, "where they killed more people and were again expelled," too empathically challenged even for Vikings. The bloodthirsty band pushed on to Greenland. And in about 985 Eirik's son, Leif, pushed on to North America. They survived, says Kurlansky, because the Vikings had learned to "preserve codfish by hanging it in the frosty winter air until it lost four-fifths of its weight and became a durable woodlike plank." What they didn't break off and eat themselves, the Vikings traded in northern Europe. But medieval Basques were the top cod traders. They were whalers, able to travel vast distances whaling because they had learned to salt-cure cod, a better technique than the Vikings' air-drying. They also had a secret source: by the year 1000, the Basques were supplying a vast international market in cod, based on their fishing fleet's surreptitious voyages across the Atlantic to North America's fishing banks, a cod cornucopia about which they kept mum. By 1532, British fishermen were fighting the Hanseatic League in the first of history's many cod wars. By 1550, sixty percent of all fish eaten in Europe was cod.@@schloupi

[@hallupnorth1082]

You’re very bright and your interest in my peoples language has enlightened me to the point of going to the tribal office and doing more research . I may be able to record an elder speaking and post it on my channel. If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I could ask my tribal office

[@imshawngetoffmylawn]

Thank you, that sounds really interesting, I’ll keep that in mind!

[@asiersanz8941]

As a basque speaker myself, I really appreciate your video. It is so moving the information you give about the good relations between both peoples, that happen to be somehow the aborigins of both continents. I've heard something about the friendship of basques with iroquian people, and a theory that says that iroquian comes from the basque term "hiruki" (triangle nowadays), because this people were ruled by a trirumvirate. But I don't know if the iroquian people is part of the algonquian family. It also blows my mind to know that the plural form is the same in both languages. Regarding to the example you use to explain how the pidgin was, the correct form in basque would be: Anaia, kapitaina zu zara? and more prefect: Anaia, kapitaina zu al zara? Than you so much for your hard work and interest for small peoples like ours!!! Eskerrik asko!

[@christopheroates5674]

Euskaldun berri naiz.. Euskera ikasten ari naiz.. Ternuan bizi naiz. Pozik zu ezagutzeaz! Euskal herrian nongoa al zara?

[@asiersanz8941]

@@christopheroates5674 Ternuarra al zara? Hau ezustekoa! Ni Bilbokoa naiz, Bizkaikoa. Oso polita da jakitea zu bezalako bat euskara ikasten ari dela.

[@christopheroates5674]

@@asiersanz8941 Bai, St John's bizi naiz. Gu Euskal kulturaz buruz ikasten dugu, euskal izen asko ditugu hemen, ezaguna da baleen arrantzaren eta merkataritzaren historia, hemen gehienek ez dakite euskarari buruz. Baina San Pierre eta Miquelon uharteetako biztanleriaren %33 euskal ondorengoak dira. Euskal jaia egiten da, ohiko kirol guztiak, harri-jasotzea, egur-mozketa, pilota, dantza, musika eta janaria. Lehenago egon naiz, eta aurten ere bertan izango naiz, lagunak ekarriz; abuztuaren erdialdean ospatzen da. Zaindu!

[@schloupi]

​@@christopheroates5674les fêtes de Bayonne sont aussi célébrées à cette période

[@Non_gogoa_han_zangoa]

@@christopheroates5674🇵🇲♥️🤍💚

[@likeableperson2090]

Had a case of whiplash at 5:50 cause of the mention of Le Jeune, thinking it was the guy who created Chinook pipa (a chinook Wawa shorthand)…. Lol Awesome video, my dude! Incredibly well researched.

[@imshawngetoffmylawn]

I was hoping someone would notice! Didn’t expect it to be this quick ahah

[@matf5593]

Ça là, c’était très intéressant! Merci… l’explication et l’humeur aussi était bon😊

[@yahia-jayelmozee4734]

What I love the most about your videos its not just the depth of history and detail you manage to explore from the development but also how you always piece it as a part of the collective human story. It makes me feel connected to what seemingly appeared at first as a small cultural interaction that happened centuries ago. You have definetly been expanding my world view and perspective of human history. It is always Surprisingly immensely inspiring yo watch you videos. On a sidenote Mi'kmaq sounds like Big Mac ( concidence or is there a secret historical connection?????)

[@rvat2003]

Most likely a coincidence since since mak is a pretty basic syllable in many languages.

[@ポラス-b8f]

it was pronunced like migma or miːgəmax (IPA)

[@alecpayne4503]

Wow I never heard about any of this. I'm from the west coast of us but I know a family that has mikmak ancestry. This is fascinating. I didn't even know about French basques coming to the Americas, but it makes sense since the bay of Biscay was a huge send-off point for voyages for the Americas.

[@joenicholas449]

We have our own languages that evolved from the Algonquin language with is L'nu , but every tribe all spoke the old Algonquin language, which was most likely what the Basque spoke and where there unique version of Algonquin came from .

[@jaycorwin1625]

I like your videos, your ideas and your unprejudiced view of people. That's how I would like everyone to be.

[@leeema5119]

Can you do a video Yama/Mobilian Jargon? Apparently one of my great grandparents spoke it and while its extinct officially I know of some Choctaw speakers have learned it today. David V. Kaufman has a booklet on it thats 10$ usd, only one person has reviewed it on YT. I hope one day it can come back to use like Chinuuk Wawa has, having remembered many old videos now gone from YT this platform was very important in its readoption. Thank you for your work and your clear enthusiasm for North American languages.

[@Biscaine]

I really enjoyed the video, but without sounding patronizing, the name that the classics used to refer to my ancestors is it not pronounced VaSones but with K VasKones, furthermore like with the words Wine or Gasconie the V of VAsK would sound more like those 2, so it'd sound as Waskones ( Guaskones) Paldies (Eskerrik asko!) PS btw the image used starting around minute 2:04, looks very familiar.:)

[@just1frosty516]

I love these videos more then most food

[@NeutralLizHotel]

Phenomenally researched and put together video. In depth, well explained, and engaging. Happily subscribed for more :^)

[@hallupnorth1082]

Very nice information, i myself am Mi’kmaq and from the Arostook band

[@AhJodie]

Wow, I never heard anything about any of this, thank you so much!

[@SarayPerri]

Woww thanks flr the video. I'm a native basque and I'd love to visit Mi'kmaq land 🥰 thank you for letting me know a really valuable history if my ancestors 😊 hugs from basque country ❤

[@OldWorldMicmac]

I am fluent Mi'kmaq, therefor half Basque?

[@MyCheriAnolani]

I’m here from Juan on Juan Media cause Micmac shared this there to V aka zaza demon/Pancho Villa 😜 woo your comment is from 2yrs ago aww you’re so sweet!

[@Glassandcandy]

It might be time to get a clip on or portable mic. That echo is brutal

[@Spongeflower]

-ak as a plural prefix is most likely a coincidence-it's quite a simply syllable so it's not too unlikely that it would be used by different languages in the same way. Evidence that it is native to Mi'kmaq is that -ak is attested as an animate plural ending in Proto-Algonquian, being used even in Ojibwe, whose territory does not extend to the sea. Evidence that it is also native to Basque is that the plural proximal suffix is -ok, which is probably related not by coincidence.

[@Bit-while_going]

Many nomadic groups have used aglutinative languages. They likely just carried then from Siberia where they were common to Beringia and the new world. It's easier for such languages to form new words when encountered than languages that don't have that. That's probably why the early Indo Europeans mixed less and fought much more.

[@loveandmercy9664]

This should be a movie. Like Black Robe style.

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

So that makes three languages related to Basque, usually thought of as a language isolate. Basque-Algonquian pidgin. Basque-Icelandic pidgin. And Erromintxela...

[@inquisitive-]

There's a Philippine Basque village with a euskara like language unique to themselves too

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

@@inquisitive- Wow

[@novedad4468]

​@@inquisitive-do you know where I can read more about it?

[@petercsakai-szoke7569]

The plural suffix in Hungarian is also "-k" so now I have to develop the Algonquian-Basque-Hungarian Pidgin

[@androtchitchinadze3450]

Hey man! I love these videos! Can you please do the Georgian language next! I am from the country Georgia and I would be very happy if you do this!

[@imshawngetoffmylawn]

Thank you so much! Definitely one day in the future - Georgian is one of those languages that I’ve been fascinated for as long as I can remember. And don’t even get me started on that mesmerizing alphabet of yours!

[@androtchitchinadze3450]

@@imshawngetoffmylawn Thanks!

[@Edarnon_Brodie]

The one very fun fact: Basque and Algonquin connected through Sino-Caucasian language family. They once were a one language. As we all, actually...

[@yahia-jayelmozee4734]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Menditarra]

Dude, a Mi'kmaq answers to me "apaizak hobeto" and I lmao for two months straight

[@januszlepionko]

Making plural by adding “-k” is also in other unrelated languages, e.g. Hungarian.

[@orlandomedina6213]

I've heard some words and pronunciation of them from other languages ( Spanish sounding words )

[@FrithonaHrududu02127]

I gotta figure there were probably tons of western Europeans , especially basques and bretons that fiund themselves shipwrecked up and down the north American coast whod have been incorporated into native American tribes.

[@FrithonaHrududu02127]

Ia there a Breton-Algonquin Pidgin?

[@bubiruski8067]

Are Greelandic words like Kangelussaq or Maniitsoq or Kulusuk also with the Bask ending ?

[@christopheroates5674]

The number of people with Basque ancestry is much much higher than you state, even within Euskal Herria , France and Spain. In South America, several countries have upwards of 10% Basque ancestry: Chile: 15-25% 2 - 4.5 million Argentina: ~7% 3 - 3.5 million Columbia 3 - 25 million Peru 18% ~6 million Uruguay 10% 350,000 Venezuela: ~25% hard to find stats In North America: Mexico: 2% (3-5 million) USA: 57,000 - 100,000 Canada: ~7,000 Many of these people are unaware of their Basque heritage due to the part where you mention they are split between France and Spain and lost their culture and language in favour of one of these two colonial powers. The Basque people played a large part within the Catholic Church (Jesuits) and held high office inside the Spanish Empire.

[@readisgooddewaterkant7890]

I have an idea. A video about the pomeranian dialect of low german

[@Nazgawrath]

Jesus loves your t-shirt!

[@kittiesandbotsgemini9892]

I have an idea for a pidgin Vietnamese- Greek - Korean - Swahili - Nepalese

[@trafo60]

Surely the 'Basques arrived in America before the Europeans' thing is just something someone claimed once without any evidence

[@schloupi]

Je trouve qud Elsie Charles Basque a des traits européen. Les mikmac se sont ils mélangés avec les basques?

[@Zane-It]

Ive heard of Mohawk dutch but not this

[@vascoespañol]

Capitaina to Zarra?????? Capitaina zara zu?

[@amidamaruDS]

nik ere gauza bera pentsatu dut :) k falta zaizu ;) Ni mexikon jaio nintzen. Orain euskeraz ikasten hari naiz.Nire familiaren izkuntza.Aitaren aldetik. :)

[@paulj312002]

Kir is not mikmewiktuk for you. Its pronounced 'geel" or kil. All algonquian languages use a k instead of a hard g...

[@Alejojojo6]

You're cute

[@ポラス-b8f]

Mi’kmaq is pronunced like migma or miːgəmax (IPA)

[@queensabina9983]

Hello great video and you did an amazing research 🎉🎉