Just for you know who...

[Rexer25]

but don't expect it...

[Bob Juch]

In researching my Spanish ancestors I've found several interesting things:

The Conversos took new surnames that were made up and were often a holy name of some sort, e.g. Santo Domingo.

The high-class families were very concerned with "limpeza de sangre" (purity of blood) and had written testaments to such before marriages could be performed.

There was a lot more mixing between the Moors and Spanish in the lower classes than the article claims.

As the article states, the Basques almost never mixed with the Moors, as they were never conquered by them. The Basques often feel superior to the other ethnic groups in Spain because of this.

[tlynn78]

I just realized the Inquisition was Rexer's fault!

t.

[Bob Juch]

I just realized the Inquisition was Rexer's fault!

t.

Of course!

[elwoodblues]

I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.

[SportsFan68]

As the article states, the Basques almost never mixed with the Moors, as they were never conquered by them. The Basques often feel superior to the other ethnic groups in Spain because of this.

That is so true. I've met a few Basques since we're sister cities with a town there and one in Mexico. They never say anything, of course, but to fluent Spanish speakers (of which I am not one), the attitude is obvious.

Also, they have their own very different regional dialect, including a few words which don't exist anywhere else in the world. It was once believed that these words originated with the Neanderthal folkses, but I don't know if that way of thinking still holds or not.

[Bob Juch]

As the article states, the Basques almost never mixed with the Moors, as they were never conquered by them. The Basques often feel superior to the other ethnic groups in Spain because of this.

That is so true. I've met a few Basques since we're sister cities with a town there and one in Mexico. They never say anything, of course, but to fluent Spanish speakers (of which I am not one), the attitude is obvious.

Also, they have their own very different regional dialect, including a few words which don't exist anywhere else in the world. It was once believed that these words originated with the Neanderthal folkses, but I don't know if that way of thinking still holds or not.

The Basque language, Euskara, is entirely different. I'm sure that the Basques mix a lot of that into their Spanish.

In Sonora (state), Mexico, the Basques pretty much ran everything and did not speak Spanish in the 1580-1800 timeframe.