mintzatu

Uncertain, the first element seems to appear as mihi ("tongue").

Therefore the word would come from mintza ("word", "speech", "designation") + the verb forming suffix -tu, and not from mintzo (with the same sense) + -tu. One opposition could be that there exists no other word with the "body part" + -tza construction in Basque, still, that doesn't make the construction impossible.

• IPA^(key): /mint͡s̻atu/ [mĩn.t͡s̻a.t̪u]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atu, -u
• Hyphenation: min‧tza‧tu

mintzatu da (imperfect participle mintzatzen, future participle mintzatuko, short form mintza, verbal noun mintzatze)

1. to speak

   Synonyms: hitz egin, berba egin, ere egin

2. to talk

• R. L. Trask (2008), “mintzatu”, in Max W. Wheeler, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Basque, University of Sussex, page 289

• “mintzatu”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “mintzatu”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005