Berriz

Berriz (in Basque an offeecially, in Spaingie: Bérriz) is a elizate, toun an municipality locatit in the province o Biscay, in the Basque Kintra, northren Spain. Berriz is pairt o the comarca o Durangaldea an haes a population o 4.759 inhabitants as of 2007 an accordin tae the Spaingie Naitional Stateestics Institute.

Bérriz
Municipality
Banner Coat airms
Bérriz Location in Spain
Coordinates: 43°10′33″N 2°24′32″W
Kintra	Spain
Autonomous commonty	Basque Kintra
Province	Biscay
Comarca	Durangaldea
Govrenment
• Mayor	Jose Jabier Azpitarte Ariño
Area
• Total	30.07 km2 (11.61 sq mi)
Elevation	192 m (630 ft)
Population  (2009)
• Total	4,888
• Density	160/km2 (420/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Berritzarra
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	48240
Website	Offeecial wabsteid

Toponymy

Berriz belangs tae a series o Basque toponyms wi a -iz endin. Julio Caro Baroja defendit that maist o these toponyms came frae a oreeginal Basque toponym plus the Laitin suffix -icus. Caro Baroja considered that on toponymy, the suffixes -oz, -ez an -iz uised tae be combined wi the name o the awner o the land, wi its oreegin bein in some place atween the Middle Ages an the Roman Empire.

In the case o Berriz, Caro Baroja suggestit that the name micht come frae Verrius, the documented Laitin name. Then, tae the name Verrius it wis addit the suffix -icus (indicating that the land wur awned bi Verrius) an became Verricus Frae then, the name evolvit tae Verrici an frae thare tae Verriz. The name o the toun in Spaingie uised tae be Vérriz.

Anither theory aboot is oreegin negates the Laitin oreegin an proposes a Basque oreegin. Berriz micht come frae Be(h)e ("unner") an Oiz in reference tae the Oiz muntain, an then "unner Oiz" as o "in the or at the bottom o Oiz".

Freemit airtins

• Bérriz in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa) (in Spaingie)
• Bérriz Toun Haw Archived 2009-09-16 at the Wayback Machine in Basque an Spaingie