Abertzale

Aberzale or abertzale is a Basque word meaning Basque "patriot" or "nationalist". It literally means "lover of the homeland" or "supporter of the homeland" and comes from the fusion of the term aberri ("homeland", a neologism created by Sabino Arana) with the suffix -(t)zale ("the one who loves", "the one who is a friend of", "the fan of something" or "the one who dedicates himself to something"). Its use and meaning, in Spanish, is highly dependent on the geographical area in which it is used.

Until 2014, the Dictionary of the Spanish language defined the word abertzale as "Basque radical nationalist", applied to people as an adjective. By giving it a restricted meaning to the field of radical Basque nationalism, this definition has generated complaints and criticism from both Basque nationalist parties (abertzales) and the Royal Academy of the Basque Language.

The meaning of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) referred to the social use that is made of this word as a synonym for «left nationalist movement», given that it has generally been the organizations of this ideology that have used the term the most, using it to define oneself, due to the disqualification that the term "nationalist" caused in some political environments. In addition, from some media the term is also used to make a distinction between nationalists, thus calling the members and supporters of the Nationalist Party Vasco (PNV) and restricting the use of abertzale to those around Batasuna and supporters of independence. Added to this is the fact that traditionally members of the PNV have been called jeltzales (supporters of JEL, acronym for Jaungoikoa eta Legezarra, which means "God and Old Law", an old motto of the PNV).

Similarly, since several parties of the «left abertzale» (Herri Batasuna, Batasuna, Euskadiko Ezkerra, Acción Nacionalista Vasca) have been linked to the terrorist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), along Throughout its history or at some point in its history, socially and in some Spanish media the term abertzale, as a synonym for «left abertzale», has been linked to the "radical" activity of that organization. In Euskal Herria, however, the term abertzale is used more in the sense of patriot, either as a Basque nationalist or as a Basque, without linking it to a specific political option. Basque political organizations not necessarily linked to this conception of the "nationalist left", such as the PNV itself, Eusko Alkartasuna (EA), Aralar or Nafarroa Bai (NaBai), also define themselves as Abertzales, alluding to his Basque nationalist ideology.

Thus, within the political context of the Basque Country and Navarra, the concept abertzale was broader than that meaning of the RAE; being its most common and more literal translation than Spanish "patriot", as a synonym for "nationalist". Currently "Basque nationalist" is the only definition that the RAE includes in its dictionary.

Historical use of the term

Several organizations and institutions have used or use this term in their name in Basque:

• Abertzaleen Batasuna (AB, Unity of Patriots), political party of the French Basque Country.
• Abertzale Sozialisten Batasuna (ASB, Union of Patriot Socialists), political party promoted by Batasuna.
• Abertzale Sozialist Komiteak (ASK, Socialist Patriot Committees), Basque Union.
• Emakume Abertzale Batza (Association of Women Patriots), a women's organization of the PNV, illegalized by the uprisings after the outbreak of the Civil War.
• Euskal Abertzaletasunaren Museoa (Museum of the Basque Patriotism).
• Eusko Abertzale Ekintza, Basque Nationalist Action, Basque political party.
• Ezker Abertzalea (Izquierda Patriota), Sozialista Abertzaleak (Socialists Patriots), Nafarroako Sozialista Abertzaleak (Socialists Patriots of Navarra) and Araba, Bizkai eta Gipuzkoako Sozialista Abertzaleak (Socialists Patriots of Álava, Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya),
• Ezkerreko Mugimendu Abertzalea (EMA, Movimiento Patriota de Izquierdas), political party of the French Basque Country.
• Euzko Abertzaleak-Nacionalistas Vascos, name of the PNV parliamentary group in the Basque Parliament.
• Gazte Abertzaleak (Youth Patriots), youths of the Eusko Alkartasuna party.
• Ikasle Abertzaleak (IA, Patriot Students), organization of students from the nationalist left.
• Koordinadora Abertzale Sozialista (KAS, Socialist Patriot Coordinator).
• Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB, Patriot Workers' Commissions), Basque Union.
• Langile Abertzale Iraultzaileen Alderdia (LAIA, Party of Revolutionary Patriot Workers), political party.
• Langile Abertzale Komiteak (LAK, Committees of Patriot Workers), Basque Union.
• Mouvement Unitaire Abertzale, electoral group of the French Basque Country, presented to the 1992 cantonal elections.