The Basque spoken in Zarautz is the Gipuzkoan dialect. There is definitely a Zarautz accent and everyone here can tell the difference between someone from Zarautz, Getaria, and Orio, even though they are just a few kilometres away. There are some words that only Zarauztarrak use such as "txaparroa" (swimsuit).
Basque has been heavily influenced by Spanish but over the last past two decades it has been profoundly influenced by the newly standardized Basque known as Euskara Batua (Unified Basque). Schooling and Basque-language TV have revolutionized Basque in the fields of vocabulary, grammar, indeed, even confidence in the ability of the language itself to convey any modern idea or thought.
The use of allocutive forms (aka "hika" or "hiketa") is alive and well in Zarautz Basque. This is the highly complex practice of including the person that you are talking to into your conversation.
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