This Saturday, the Basque Language Academy has appointed the new members of the Basque Language Academy in the plenary session held at the City Hall of San Sebastian. The number of academics have voted in favour of Xarles Videgain and Andoni Sagarna to fill the vacancies generated by the donation, and Itxaro Borda and Andrés Alberdi have obtained the absolute majority required by the Euskaltzaindia Regulation.

It should be recalled that Xarles Videgain and Andoni Sagarna became emeritus before the summer and on 22 July the deadline for nominations was opened to fill the vacancies of both. The Basque Laboratory was 75 years old on June 30 and became an emeritus member of the Basque Language Academy, according to the internal standards of Euskaltzaindia. The same happened with Andoni Sagarna, a member of the Academy of the Basque Language of San Sebastian, who turned 75 on July 11.

The candidates Itxaro Borda and Andres Alberdi were presented by the academics at the plenary session held on 28 October in the Academy’s delegation in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and on Saturday they were named number academics.

The current number of academics is as follows (24: 15 men and 9 women in total): Sagrario Aleman, Adolfo Arejita, Aurelia Arkotxa, Andres Alberdi, Bernardo Atxaga, Itxaro Borda, Miren Azkarate, Miren Agur Meabe, Jean-Baptiste Coyos, Patxi Goenaga, Roberto González de Viñaspre, Jabier Mizalorakorta

Short profiles of two number academics

Itxaro Borda (Bayona, 1959). The family is from Orable. He undertook higher studies in history and is currently retired from the job of postman. Writer, author of poets, articles and songs for musicians from Euskal Herria. He has been a long-time ARGIA collaborator. Since he was very young he began to hide in the Herria weekly and has not stopped since. He won the Euskadi Prize for Literature in 2002 with 100% of Basque, published in French in 2004 and Spanish in 2012. She has published in the editorials of Mayo, Susa, Alberdania and Elkar collections of poems and novels that have marked milestones, especially with the lesbian detective Amaia Ezpeldoi. He writes Hondar about the evolution of Basque society in half a century, from a peripheral point of view, the Northern Basque Country, historicity and feminism. He was appointed by Euskaltzaindia on 26 November 2021.

Andrés Alberdi Gorostiaga (Getaria,1950). Bachelor of Philosophy. Teaching experience in 38 years. First at the Ikastola de Elgoibar, then at the Elgoibar Institute and there, professor of Euskera and Literature from 1982 until his retirement in 2011. He is the author of more than twenty textbooks and grammar books in the Basque Country and Literature of the ESO and Bachillerato, both alone and in collaboration since 1986. Between 1986 and 1990, member of the team of examiners of EGA and, between 1988 and 1990, director of the Official Examinations Commission as academic head of Gipuzkoa. From 1991-92 to 2011 he has participated in the EIMA Program of the Department of Education of the Basque Government. Since 2007 he has participated in the Compilation Working Group of the Euskaltzaindia Dictionary of Science and Technology. Since 2014, chair of the Euskaltzaindia Manual of the Unified Basque Country and author of the Manual of the Unified Basque Country (2018) produced by that commission in 2018. Since 2022 he has been secretary of the Delegated Commission for Standardization of Morphosyntax. He was appointed to Euskaltzaindia in 2018. In addition to the Unified Basque Manual, Alberdi has carried out other works. Among them, two meats from the Bidegileak collection (Manuel Larramendi and Agustin P. Dedicated to the activity and life of Iturriaga), Basic Grammar (2008, Donostia: Elkar) and Pronunciation (2014, Vitoria: RIMA. Basque Government).