Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm feeling kind of stupid as a native Utahn and, therefore, practically your next door neighbor, but it has recently occurred to me that I may have been pronouncing "Boise" incorrectly all my life. More and more all the time, I'm hearing it pronounced "Boy-zee." I've always said, "Boy-see." The thing is that I'm hearing it pronounced as "Boy-zee" by non-Idahoans, so if I'm going to change how I pronounce it, I want to double-check with those of you who live there before I do. So, which is it?
You’ve been saying it correctly. There are t-shirts sold in town correcting the pronunciation. Here’s an educational song: “ There is no Z in Boise.” (I’ve also heard people say it really doesn’t matter.)
You’ve been saying it correctly. There are t-shirts sold in town correcting the pronunciation. Here’s an educational song: “ There is no Z in Boise.” (I’ve also heard people say it really doesn’t matter.)
You’ve been saying it correctly. There are t-shirts sold in town correcting the pronunciation. Here’s an educational song: “ There is no Z in Boise.” (I’ve also heard people say it really doesn’t matter.)
Thank you! I loved the song, and I'm going to keep pronouncing "Boise" as "Boy-see." I'm also going to keep saying, "Nuh-VADD-uh" ("add" as in what you to to get the sum of two numbers) the way I do until somebody from that state tells me it's pronounced "Nuh-VODD-uh" ("odd" as in "strange")!
Thank you! I loved the song, and I'm going to keep pronouncing "Boise" as "Boy-see." I'm also going to keep saying, "Nuh-VADD-uh" ("add" as in what you to to get the sum of two numbers) the way I do until somebody from that state tells me it's pronounced "Nuh-VODD-uh" ("odd" as in "strange")!
We're pretty close to the original pronunciation of Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho, pronounced "PONdaraye." And the little town north of Sandpoint is actually spelled Ponderay. I had my doubts how to pronounce Dubois in Wyoming until this summer when we heard it called DEW-boyz. So I won't call it 'Debwa' any longer! Live and learn.
...I had my doubts how to pronounce Dubois in Wyoming until this summer when we heard it called DEW-boyz. So I won't call it 'Debwa' any longer! Live and learn.
There is an interesting historical story why the Dubois in Wyoming is called as it is. Almost retired there, it's a delightful town, if somewhat remote.
We're pretty close to the original pronunciation of Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho, pronounced "PONdaraye." And the little town north of Sandpoint is actually spelled Ponderay. I had my doubts how to pronounce Dubois in Wyoming until this summer when we heard it called DEW-boyz. So I won't call it 'Debwa' any longer! Live and learn.
Yup. French names become Americanized. The early French trappers left Idaho with a bunch of place names all over the state. Boise is a bastardized word for Le Bois- "the trees". Malad is another- malade is French for 'Illness".
One curious French relic is St. Anthony. The town was named for the patron saint of the French trappers.
The Teton mountain range has a semi-naughty French name. There are lots of French place names in Wyoming and N. Utah too.
Why the French? Because France was Europe's most fashion-forward nation. In a time when a hat was an absolute necessity, beaver felt was the miracle fiber of the times. Beaver felt can be worked harder and thinner than any other natural hair, is much more water resistant, and retains it's shape the best.
France pioneered the use of beaver felt for men's hats. The taller the hat, the more expensive it was, and a beaver felt hat was both a status symbol and very durable headwear. A Stovepipe hat displayed to all that the wearer was a person of substance, and to be reckoned with.
While it seems strange to us now, the 18th and 19th centuries built vast fortunes on wild animals.
American whalers lit the lamps of Europe with whale oil, and the beaver put French- made hats on everyone. 3 winter's work of hard work could make a trapper enough to retire to Quebec as a rich young man. One 3-year voyage on a whaler could do the same for an American.
I think the trappers must have made the first maps of this region. The Hudson's Bay Company eventually displaced all the French trappers, but the company must have used French maps, which allowed the old names to survive.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thank you! I loved the song, and I'm going to keep pronouncing "Boise" as "Boy-see." I'm also going to keep saying, "Nuh-VADD-uh" ("add" as in what you to to get the sum of two numbers) the way I do until somebody from that state tells me it's pronounced "Nuh-VODD-uh" ("odd" as in "strange")!
