May 27, 2010

Basil Doesn't Rhyme with Hazel

At least in my books it doesn't - but it seems to be 50/50 split. I think it should sound more like the Basil in Basil Rathbone not Bayzel. In Latin it's Basilicum. The Italians call it Basilico. The purple variety I have, ocimum basilicum, is instantly redolent of an Italian trattoria. Yum. Here's a series of pronunciations via Forvo.

8 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

You say basil, I say bayzel, Hazel.

Tess Kincaid said...

Oh, and hey, the gray looks super! I've gone white for a change, but then, I always switch mine around a lot.

Susan said...

Since I always do what my mother says (ha!), I say 'bayzel' for the herb & 'bah-zil' for zee name.

If you say 'bah-zel' where I am for the herb, you will get some funny looks.

Bye Hay-zel.

Kat Mortensen said...

I go with Sybil Fawlty's pronunciation: BASil!!!

Leah said...

I say bayzel, but I think ba-zil might be nicer actually. However it's said, I do love it with mozarella and balsamic vinaigrette... : )

Hels said...

Bayzel? I have never heard anyone pronounce it that way. But be that as it may, basil is the freshest, greatest smell of all the herbs. I have a large herb garden behind the house with a range of different plants, but basil is absolutely my favourite.

Brian Miller said...

baysel it is...which does rhyme...

Diane said...

great photo.
nice colours.
traveled outto Richters and picked up some wonderfully smelly stuff this past Sunday: basil, lemon verbena,pineapple sage, salad mint.
And a scrumptious geranium that smells like coconut. Ahh, summer.