abertzale
Basque
Etymology
Coined by Basque nationalist, writer and politician Sabino Arana, from aberri (“fatherland”) + -zale (“supporter”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /abert͡s̻ale/ [a.β̞er.t͡s̻a.le]
Audio: (file) - Rhymes: -ale, -e
- Hyphenation: a‧ber‧tza‧le
Adjective
abertzale (comparative abertzaleago, superlative abertzaleen, excessive abertzaleegi)
Declension
| indefinite | singular | plural | proximal plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolutive | abertzale | abertzalea | abertzaleak | abertzaleok | |
| ergative | abertzalek | abertzaleak | abertzaleek | abertzaleok | |
| dative | abertzaleri | abertzaleari | abertzaleei | abertzaleoi | |
| genitive | abertzaleren | abertzalearen | abertzaleen | abertzaleon | |
| comitative | abertzalerekin | abertzalearekin | abertzaleekin | abertzaleokin | |
| causative | abertzalerengatik | abertzalearengatik | abertzaleengatik | abertzaleongatik | |
| benefactive | abertzalerentzat | abertzalearentzat | abertzaleentzat | abertzaleontzat | |
| instrumental | abertzalez | abertzaleaz | abertzaleez | abertzaleotaz | |
| innesive | anim. | abertzalerengan | abertzalearengan | abertzaleengan | abertzaleongan |
| inan. | abertzaletan | abertzalean | abertzaleetan | abertzaleotan | |
| locative | anim. | — | — | — | — |
| inan. | abertzaletako | abertzaleko | abertzaleetako | abertzaleotako | |
| allative | anim. | abertzalerengana | abertzalearengana | abertzaleengana | abertzaleongana |
| inan. | abertzaletara | abertzalera | abertzaleetara | abertzaleotara | |
| terminative | anim. | abertzalerenganaino | abertzalearenganaino | abertzaleenganaino | abertzaleonganaino |
| inan. | abertzaletaraino | abertzaleraino | abertzaleetaraino | abertzaleotaraino | |
| directive | anim. | abertzalerenganantz | abertzalearenganantz | abertzaleenganantz | abertzaleonganantz |
| inan. | abertzaletarantz | abertzalerantz | abertzaleetarantz | abertzaleotarantz | |
| destinative | anim. | abertzalerenganako | abertzalearenganako | abertzaleenganako | abertzaleonganako |
| inan. | abertzaletarako | abertzalerako | abertzaleetarako | abertzaleotarako | |
| ablative | anim. | abertzalerengandik | abertzalearengandik | abertzaleengandik | abertzaleongandik |
| inan. | abertzaletatik | abertzaletik | abertzaleetatik | abertzaleotatik | |
| partitive | abertzalerik | — | — | — | |
| prolative | abertzaletzat | — | — | — | |
Noun
abertzale anim
Usage notes
Nowadays, the term refers almost exclusively to left-wing Basque nationalists.
Declension
| indefinite | singular | plural | proximal plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolutive | abertzale | abertzalea | abertzaleak | abertzaleok |
| ergative | abertzalek | abertzaleak | abertzaleek | abertzaleok |
| dative | abertzaleri | abertzaleari | abertzaleei | abertzaleoi |
| genitive | abertzaleren | abertzalearen | abertzaleen | abertzaleon |
| comitative | abertzalerekin | abertzalearekin | abertzaleekin | abertzaleokin |
| causative | abertzalerengatik | abertzalearengatik | abertzaleengatik | abertzaleongatik |
| benefactive | abertzalerentzat | abertzalearentzat | abertzaleentzat | abertzaleontzat |
| instrumental | abertzalez | abertzaleaz | abertzaleez | abertzaleotaz |
| innesive | abertzalerengan | abertzalearengan | abertzaleengan | abertzaleongan |
| locative | — | — | — | — |
| allative | abertzalerengana | abertzalearengana | abertzaleengana | abertzaleongana |
| terminative | abertzalerenganaino | abertzalearenganaino | abertzaleenganaino | abertzaleonganaino |
| directive | abertzalerenganantz | abertzalearenganantz | abertzaleenganantz | abertzaleonganantz |
| destinative | abertzalerenganako | abertzalearenganako | abertzaleenganako | abertzaleonganako |
| ablative | abertzalerengandik | abertzalearengandik | abertzaleengandik | abertzaleongandik |
| partitive | abertzalerik | — | — | — |
| prolative | abertzaletzat | — | — | — |
Derived terms
- abertzalego (“patriotism”)
- abertzalekeria (“jingoism”)
- abertzaletasun (“patriotism”)
- abertzaletu (“to become a (Basque) nationalist”)
Further reading
- “abertzale”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
- “abertzale”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005
Spanish
Alternative forms
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from Basque abertzale (“patriot”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /abeɾˈt͡ʃale/ [a.β̞eɾˈt͡ʃa.le]
- IPA(key): /abeɾˈθale/ [a.β̞eɾˈθa.le] (Spain, Equatorial Guinea)
- IPA(key): /abeɾˈsale/ [a.β̞eɾˈsa.le] (Latin America, Philippines)
- Rhymes: -ale
- Syllabification: a‧ber‧tza‧le
Adjective
abertzale m or f (masculine and feminine plural abertzales)
- nationalist, pertaining to the Basque nationalist movement
- la izquierda abertzale ― the abertzale left (literally, “the patriotic left”)
- 2023 May 16, “Los siete exetarras de las listas de Bildu con delitos de sangre renuncian a ser concejales”, in El País[1]:
- Los siete exetarras con delitos de sangre incluidos en las listas de Bildu para el 28-M han anunciado que renuncian a ser concejales, en el caso de salir elegidos, para “contribuir a la paz y la convivencia”, según una carta publicada este martes por la mañana por el diario Naiz, vinculado a la izquierda abertzale.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Noun
abertzale m or f by sense (plural abertzales)
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Derived terms
Further reading
- “abertzale”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025