astronomy

Txillardegi

Txillardegi is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Txillardegi rather than just read about it. In short: José Luis Álvarez Enparantza (27 September 1929 – 14 January 2012), better known by his pseudonym Txillardegi, was a Basque linguist, politician, and writer. He was born and raised in the Basque Country, and although he did not learn the Basque language until the age of 17, he later came to be considered one of the most influential figures in Basque nationalism and culture in the second half of the 20th century.

Key takeaways

Txillardegi belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Txillardegi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Txillardegi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

José Luis Álvarez Enparantza (27 September 1929 – 14 January 2012), better known by his pseudonym Txillardegi, was a Basque linguist, politician, and writer. He was born and raised in the Basque Country, and although he did not learn the Basque language until the age of 17, he later came to be considered one of the most influential figures in Basque nationalism and culture in the second half of the 20th century. He was one of the founders of ETA, but in 1967 he left because he did not agree with its political line.

Literary and academic work Álvarez Enparantza (the maternal surname was sometimes Hispanicised as Emparanza) studied engineering at the University of Bilbao, and linguistics at the University of Paris. In 1957, he became a corresponding member of the Euskaltzaindia (Academia de la Lengua Vasca, Academy of the Basque Language), which adopted most of his proposals on the orthography and morphology of Standard Basque. In 1993 he became a member of its Commission on Pronunciation. His name was put forward twice to become a full member of the Euskaltzaindia but he was turned down for political reasons. When he was going to be proposed for a third time, he himself turned down the proposal. He was a major contributor to the standardisation of Basque. His philosophy was based on the following points:

that if minority languages are to survive, they have to be able to deal with modern science and technology; that a standardised language is a key part of modernisation; that any subject could be discussed in an understandable way in any language, based on "trying, time, and intelligence"; and that the main feature, among others, that should identify a person (or the country) as Basque should be knowledge of the Basque language.

He was also a well-known writer and linguist under the pseudonyms Larresoro, Igara and Usako. He was a writer influenced by existentialism of Kierkegaard, Unamuno and Sartre, and also by the writer Bertrand Russell. He has had many books published, mostly to do with the Basque language and its grammar. He has also written novels and political essays. His work Leturiaren egunkari ezkutua (1957) is considered the first modern novel written in Basque and makes a clear dividing line in Basque literature. Other work included the novels Haizeaz bestaldetik (1979) and Putzu (1999); the influential essays Huntaz eta hartaz (1965), Hizkuntza eta pentsakera (1972) and Euskal Herria helburu (1994), and the academic works Euskal fonologia (1980), Euskal azentuaz (1984) and Elebidun gizartearen azterketa matematikoa (1984). In 1968 he won the Txomin Agirre award for his novel Elsa Scheelen. He also won the Andima award in Caracas in 1969 for books on teaching mathematics. He won the Silver Lauburu for his book Euskal Gramatika in Bilbo in 1980. In the 1970s Txillardegi co-founded the Euskal Herrian Euskaraz Basque language movement. In 1982 he began lecturing in the University of the Basque Country, of which he later became a professor emeritus. The database of the Basque scientific-intellectual community Inguma shows references to 122 products (paper, books, talks etc.) created by Txillardegi.

Political activity

A member of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in his youth, he promoted the defence and study of the Basque language as the basis of Basque identity. After becoming disillusioned with the PNV, Txillardegi was one of the founders of ETA in 1959, together with a group of young nationalists and was the visible leader of the cultural branch of the movement. In 1961 he fled into exile, in Paris and Brussels, returning in 1967. In 1976 he and Iñaki Aldekoa formed a political party, the Euskal Sozialista Biltzarrea (ESB: Congreso de Socialistas Vascos, Basque Socialist Congress). Txillardegi participated in the foundation in 1977 of Herri Batasuna and was elected senator for the abertzale coalition in the first elections. Coming to believe that the armed struggle was unviable, for a time he was active in Aralar. In the general elections of 2008, he announced his Senate candidacy for the Eusko Abertzale Ekintza party (Acción Nacionalista Vasca, Basque Nationalist Action) for the precinct of Guipúzcoa.

References

Sources Aizpuru, Alaitz 2012: "Existentzialismoaren hastapenak Euskal Herrian: Leturiaren egunkari ezkutua" in Alaitz Aizpuru(koord.), Euskal Herriko pentsamenduaren gida, Bilbo, UEU. ISBN 978-84-8438-435-9 Azurmendi, Joxe 1999: Txillardegiren saioa: hastapenen bila, Jakin, 114: 17–45. Azurmendi, Joxe 2000: "Kierkeggard-en <<egunkari ezkutua>>" in Txipi Ormaetxea (arg.), Txillardegi lagun giroan, Bilbo: UEU ISBN 84-8438-007-6 Hegats. Literatur aldizkaria. 49. ISSN 1130-2445 Olaziregi, Mari Jose 2012. Basque Literary History, Reno, Center for Basque Studies/University of Nevada ISBN 978-1-935709-19-0 Sudupe, Pako 2011: 50eko hamarkadako euskal literatura I: hizkuntza eta ideologia, Donostia, Utriusque Vasconiae. ISBN 978-84-938329-4-0 Sudupe, Pako 2011: 50eko hamarkadako euskal literatura II: kazetaritza eta siakera, Donostia, Utriusque Vasconiae. ISBN 978-84-938329-5-7 Sudupe, Pako 2012: "Ideologia eztabaidak 50eko hamarkadan" in Alaitz Aizpuru (koord.), Euskal Herriko pentsamenduaren gida, Bilbo, UEU. ISBN 978-84-8438-435-9 Sudupe, Pako 2016: Txillardegiren borroka abertzalea, Donostia: Elkar ISBN 978-84-9027-544-3 Sudupe, Pako 2025: "Orixe, Gandiaga, R. Arregi eta Txillardegi" in XX. mendeko euskal pentsamendua Joxe Azurmendiren talaiatik, Leioa, EHU. ISBN 978-84-9860-927-1 Torrealdai, Joan Mari 2014: Batasunaren bidea urratzen. Txillardegiren eragintza praktikoa, Jakin, 204:11-96. Zapiain, Markos 2000: "Txillardegi gazte eroaren heriotza eta egia" in Txipi Ormaetxea (arg.), Txillardegi lagun giroan, Bilbo: UEU. ISBN 84-8438-007-6 Zapiain, Markos 2024: Txillardegi hizkuntzalari, Donostia, Elkar. ISBN 978-8413604473

External links Txillardegi's page in the website of the Basque Writers' Association Archived 2020-07-22 at the Wayback Machine (in Basque) Report about Txillardegi by Hamaika Telebista (2014). (in Basque) Website on Txillardegi in the web gipuzkoakultura.net of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. (in Spanish) Website on Txillardegi in the web gipuzkoakultura.net of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Txillardegi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Txillardegi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Txillardegi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Txillardegi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Txillardegi

In research: Txillardegi appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Txillardegi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Txillardegi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1929 births, 2012 deaths, 20th-century Spanish linguists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Txillardegi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Txillardegi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Txillardegi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Txillardegi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Txillardegi in simple terms?

Why does Txillardegi matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Txillardegi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Txillardegi.