Habia (root)

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Habia, probably from habe(a), is an element in river names as:

• the Uhabia, a coastal river of the French Basque Country,
• the Ardanabia, a left tributary of the Adour.

It may also be found in names as: Azkabi (Lohitzun), Habiaga (Ainharp, Arrast-Larrebieu, Iholdy), Zehabia (Armendarits), Zehabiaga (Chéraute), Intzabi, Okabe…

The word habia means 'nest' in modern Basque. Its original meaning is 'hole',^[1] 'lower place', where rivers flow.

[edit] Sources

1. ^ Pierre Lhande, Dictionnaire Basque-Français et Français-Basque, 1926.