Txakoli - The Name

The Name

This wine is called txakolin (pronounced ) in Basque, txakolina meaning "the txakolin". The term is attested from the middle of the 18th century onwards, occasionally also as a personal name. Traditionally the general form has been txakolin, although xakolin has been documented in Iparralde. Txakoli, considered a misspelling by the Euskaltzaindia, is attested from 1985 onwards. Derived forms are based on the root txakolin, for example txakolin-ardo (txakoli wine), txakolin-dantza (txakoli dance), txakolin-saltze (txakoli sale), txakolin gorri (red txakoli) or txakolin-etxe (txakoli house).

This wine is called chacolí (pronounced ) in Spanish, a word that comes from the Basque txakolin. The first reference to the name of this wine in Spanish was vino chacolín in a document from the Basque Country in 1520. The wine is occasionally called chacoli in French.

Most authors assume a Basque origin but the origin of the word is ultimately unknown, except for the ending -in which frequently occurs in liquids (cf ozpin "vinegar", pitipin or txuzpin "watered wines"), the word is obscure.

Amongst the more fanciful attempts at derivation is a suggested origin from etxeko ain (just enough for the home). Others opt for a French origin as it initially appeared as a term to identify French wines in villages of eastern Gipuzkoa. There are also authors who suggest a Spanish origin of the term.