<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">=========================================================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 29 April 2008 - Volume 03<br style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">
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<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe"><span class="EP8xU" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 28);">Luc Hellinckx</span> <span class="lDACoc"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="HcCDpe">LL-L "Names"<br><br></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Beste Gael,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
You wrote:
</span><blockquote style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" type="cite">
<p><span> It
seems
that the name Basil traveled west with Crusaders returning home. Not
sure how,
where, and when basil the herb traveled around the world; but it seems
that
Basil is short for king (</span><span style="color: black;" lang="EN">"basile΄us"</span><span>).
I can see how it would have been pronounced with accent on the second
syllable
(</span><span style="color: black;" lang="EN">Basíle)</span><span>… and
how that would sound better
with a unvoice "V" in front (</span><span style="color: black;" lang="EN">Vasile</span><span>).
There is a prime minister in Romania with Vasile as a last name. </span></p>
<p><span> Is
this related to the way that <i>pre</i> and <i>post</i> nominal
adjectives play
out regionally? The Anglo rhythm of sentences favors an abrupt, short
Básil. Names
seem to be especially prone to this sort of shift. The point in my
defending 'Bazzle'
as a <i>theologically-correct</i> pronunciation is not about feeling
it to be
superior, just <i>correct in the context</i> of sharing research with
others
beyond the US. It sounds much less "American"…and yet still
recognizable as a
part of a discourse between English-speakers. Outside that context (in
the mainstream
of just plain US folks), this "alternate" pronunciation sounds
pretentious—After
all we are a nation that is famous for rejecting anything to do with
kings. </span></p>
<p><span>
However,
most people here in the US would not know that St. Basil's association
with the
name had already reversed this elitist edge long, long ago. It is
notable,
though, that he was still a rather forceful guy. His homeland of
Cappadocia was
known for being a muddy, rural backwater in those days… Maybe that's
where the
phrase "stuck-in-the-mud" comes from. I think "beat-around-the-Bush"
comes from
another less-than-urbane place and time (like TX maybe). Wonder how
the herb
fits into this? It's interesting to ponder over what favored modes of
pronouncing words might carry along with them.</span></p>
<p><span>Gael </span></p>
<p><i><span>Ron wrote</span></i><span>:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">"Proper"
and "incorrect" ... hmm ... OK, so "Bazzle" is the <i>preferred</i>
pronunciation in English-speaking<i> </i>Orthodox and Catholic
monastic
circles, but the "BAY-zil" pronunciation is considered standard in
many other circles. I don't think there's a "proper" for the entire
English language. Of course, those to whom the ecclesiastic contention
is
important the "Bazzle" pronunciation may seem superior.<br>
<br>
After all, "Bazzle" is a far cry from the original Greek Βασίλειος (<i>Vasíleios</i>).
More "proper" or "correct" would be something like *Vasily
or even better *Vasiley (with a sharp "s" and the main stress on the
second syllable), thus similar to the Russian pronunciation. Almost all
imported names, especially Greek-rooted ones, are "mispronounced" in
English, or anywhere else. But they are standard anyway, and some have
more
than one standard pronunciation, this being one of them. Which one is
better
would be up to dialect and to personal preference.</span><span><br>
</span></p>
</blockquote>
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
I just wonder: would there be any word that is pronounced shorter in
the US than in the UK? </span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
For some reason, I have this idea that on average, UK-speakers tend to
speak faster and use shorter vowels than US-speakers. Btw, in Belgium,
the West speaks significantly faster than the East (in all respects).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
My point is, would anybody ever have reflected on who St. Basil
historically was, and then have adapted his speech?</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Kind greetings,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888">
<br>
Luc Hellinckx</font><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">