Idiazabal
Gipuzkoa · GuipúzcoaPaís Vasco / Euskadi · País Vasco
Compound Basque toponym. Idiazabal, from idia ('ox') plus zabal ('wide, flat'), designates 'wide ox pasture', transhumant pastoralism characteristic of the Aralar range.
Evolution of the name
- idia + zabal Old Basque before the 12th century
- Idiazabal Basque from the 13th century
Reflections, to the letter
Idiazabal names the broad grazing land for livestock, and that grassland is still there, above the village: the wide high pastures of the Aralar range. Each summer the shepherds climb to them with their latxa flocks, as they have for millennia, to milk the ewes and cure the cheese that has taken the town's name. Look up at the sierra and you will see the word turned into pasture.
Glossary
- Attested
- A form or word documented in writing in historical sources; opposed to "reconstructed" (forms proposed by comparative inference but not actually documented).
- Latxa sheep
- Native sheep breed of the Basque Country and Navarre, characterised by long and rough wool (which gives name to the breed: latz means 'rough' in Basque) and high production of fatty milk suitable for cheese. Current census estimated at 250,000 head. Exclusive producer of Idiazabal PDO cheese.
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Camino Vasco del Interior