Are you confused by the name Basil?

Boy Names
1

I know you guys are among the most sophisticated name experts on the web. Are you confused by the name [name_m]Basil[/name_m]?
If I told you we pronounce it BAZZ-ul, and not [name_u]BAY[/name_u]-sill, would your mind be blown? We’re thinking [name_m]Basil[/name_m] Rathbone, not the herb you grind into a pesto.

I wasn’t aware that using what I think of as a perfectly upstanding British English name, I’d be doing something
so controversial!

[name_m]How[/name_m] would you assume [name_m]Basil[/name_m] was meant to be pronounced, as a boy’s name?

2

I would assume [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-sil or bay-zil, depending where one lives.

3

I would pronounce [name_m]Basil[/name_m], bay-zil.

4

I pr . it Baz - il .

5

I’d say Bazz-ul, but only because I researched the proper pronunciation when doing genealogy research a few years back.

6

Nope, not confused. It’s a family name for me, and I’ve grown up watching Fawlty [name_m]Towers[/name_m]…

I say [name_m]BAZ[/name_m]-uhl which is how it’s meant to be. :wink:

7

I pronounce it [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-sill.
I have never heard it used as a name and would probably have to think twice about it.

8

[name_m]Baz[/name_m]-il.

Though British, I would have pronounced it [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-sil until someone corrected me had it not been for [name_m]Basil[/name_m] Brush.

9

I’m not confused because of St. [name_m]Basil[/name_m]. In Greek its pronounced [name_m]Vas[/name_m]-eel-ee. So to translate it, it would be Bahz-ul. But most people will pronounce it like the herb.

10

I would definitely pronounce it [name_m]BAZ[/name_m]-uhl as a UK berry! That’s what we call the herb too so I can’t see a distinction so it wouldn’t be an issue at all for me X

11

I’ve only ever pronounced it Bazz-il. [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-zil would be the herb.

12

I know a basil in real life and he’s always pronounced it bazz-uhl so it’s not really confusing. You might have to correct people every now and then but they’ll get it soon enough.

13

I say [name_m]Baz[/name_m]-uhl, that how we pronounce the herb here too :slight_smile:

14

I know the correct form is ‘[name_m]Baz[/name_m]-ul’ but the only person I know with this name pronounces it ‘[name_u]Bay[/name_u]-sul’ so I would probably either ask them how it was pronounces or wait to hear how they pronounced it.

15

Americans = [name_u]BAY[/name_u]-zil
Everyone else = [name_m]BAZ[/name_m]-il

That’s for the herb. I think as a name [name_m]BAZ[/name_m]-il is the only way to go. [name_u]BAY[/name_u]-zil sounds weird. Especially since we all know [name_m]Basil[/name_m] Fawlty.

16

Well as a British name through and through the pronunciation would definitely be BAZZ IL unless you are in Falty [name_m]Towers[/name_m] and being called by your wingeing wife in which case it would be BAAZZ [name_m]ULL[/name_m]!

Spare us from any other pronunciation.

rollo

17

Yup.

In defense of us heathen Americans, if you see a less-than-familiar name that is spelled identically to a common noun, you are going to pronounce it the way that noun is pronounced (especially if said noun fits into a reasonable naming category, e.g. botany). [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-sil.

I know that it’s Bah-sil in other English-speaking countries. I watched Fawlty [name_m]Towers[/name_m] as a child and have encountered it many times since. I also know the herb is not the name’s origin. But in the UK, the name is pronounced just like the herb, so I don’t think it’s totally crazy to wonder which pronunciation American parents wanted to match-- herb, or Brits. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are kind of authentic in a way.

I don’t really think it should deter you, though. One quick correction is all you need. Same as Ma-deh-lin vs Ma-deh-line or the like. [name_m]Even[/name_m] my [name_f]MIL[/name_f] [name_f]Joan[/name_f] has to explain to people that she is not [name_f]Joanne[/name_f]. Sometimes there is no avoiding confusion in this world. :slight_smile:

18

Yerp, [name_m]BAZ[/name_m]-ul. For the herb (with an h ;)) and for the name :slight_smile:

19

What’s to be confused about? I’ll pronounce it however the parents tell me to pronounce it. Because I know there are two pronunciations, I wouldn’t assume. I hate people pronouncing my name they way they want so I’d never do it to someone else

20

I think [name_m]Basil[/name_m] is a handsome name. I could never use it, though.

I live in the Midwestern US and

  1. people here would think it was a weird thing to name your kid
  2. they would always call him [name_u]BAY[/name_u]-sil

It all depends on where you’re at. If you’re in the UK, I can’t imagine you’d have problems. Most places in the US though, you’ll be correcting other people’s pronunciation constantly. [name_m]Basil[/name_m] isn’t really on people’s radar as an actual name here. Everyone will think of the herb.