The Debate Is On: Is There a ‘Z’ in Boise?

Here we go again with another classic "Boise-Only" debate. I can't even say THAT without taking a side, really. Before we jump into this, I should clarify that yes--I hold a pretty passionate side in this debate and as a local, I would like to think that my vote is worth more than just one-tally because, well--BIRTHRIGHT.

I digress.

I'm a fan of scrolling through Reddit for jokes and funny things, however there's always something interesting going on in the "Boise" subreddit.  There's always that ONE guy that has to spark the debate, though--right? Well, that is exactly what happened this week.

The user totally knew what they were up to but the following post has the ground shaking here in the Treasure Valley and I would like to settle this once and for all. He writes:

I know I'm going to get hate for this one..

But in French (the language from which the name "Boise" originates), an S sandwiched between two vowels is supposed to be pronounces like a Z, meaning that "Boy-zee" is actually a more accurate pronunciation than "boy-see".

Here we go again, Idaho. How do we pronounce the name of our capital city and IS there a 'Z' in Boise?

My vote: NO. It's "Boy-See", period--end of story. If only we could all agree.

When the singer Jewel came through the Treasure Valley YEARS ago, she wrote an entire song about the heated debate which the crowd absolutely loved and still lives in infamy around town. You can learn the lyrics for yourself, below--and it reiterates that there is NO 'Z' in Boise.

Of course, other commenters within this subreddit had plenty to say, too.

One user writes: 

"Cool! Now do Kuna"

I see what you did there--and yes, I laughed.

Another commenter writes: 

If you’re trying to get back to the French original it wouldn’t really be either of those. The direct French word is “boisé” which means wooded and is pronounced kinda: bwa-zay (I don’t really know how to write stuff phonetically). So yeah you’re kinda right that the closer you get to the original the more it makes a Z sound.... but you’re still wrong.

The debate lives on and while I'll stick to my guns on "Boy-See", we're curious if there are any French experts out there that can give us an assist on the truth behind this? I'd also like to file a motion that the Mayor put this to rest once and for all- which will be it!?

Read the thread for yourself, HERE.