Rhyme

This is a key element without which there would be no bertsu. The main difficulty for the bertsulari is finding the most appropriate rhymes without repeating a single word, at the risk of ‘‘poto’’ (repeating a rhyming word in the same verse).

Rhyme is the order of identical sounds at the ends of words placed at the end of rhythmic units. Whether a verse of made up of four, five or nine verses, they must all finish with the same sound. The rhyme must not only be made up of one but two letters, eg. umila, sekula, arbola, zabala. If the rhyme ends in three letters, it’s even better: ezkila, hila, bila, makila!

Rich or poor rhyme

The rhyme is distinguished according to the wealth of its composition. It is considered poor if it ends in one or two vowels, eg. lekua, hiria, pilota, meza or even burua, ordua.
In order to be rich, a rhyme must include at least one vowel and its supporting consonant (eg. in English: image, adage). Hitza, giltza, zorrotza, esperantza are words with a rich rhyme, as are elizan, gerizan, words which rhyme not only in their suffix (-an) but also in the preceding sibilant (-z-), in the preceding vowel (-i-) and even in the vowel of the first syllable of each word (-e).

Finding a rhyme

When the leader gives a subject, the bertsulari must immediately find rich rhymes.

Words come to the improviser’s mind:

  • ezkila
  • makila
  • etxola
  • arbola
  • autoa

Autoa should be eliminated because it has a poor rhyme. Etxola and arbola will also be ignored in order to make the verses end in ILA, replacing them with bila (searching for) and hila (dead). The improviser will look for the content best suited to the subject given.

''Poto''

Bertsularis must never repeat in a bertsu the same word with the same meaning  at the end of a verse, at the risk of ‘‘poto’’ (repeating a rhyming word in the same verse). This is one of the technical aspects which is most severely reprimanded by the audience in general and by championship panels in particular.