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>the way the Swiss pronounce Basel

You may have been making a veiled reference to the fact that the Swiss pronounce it three different ways themselves, but just in case you weren't:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g188049-i752-k284241...

>The locals say without any doubt "Basel" with a long "a". So do the germans.

>So, in american it is something like "Baahsel"

>Some english folks pronounce it "Baahl", so do the french, who write it "Bâle".

>In italian, by the way, it is "Basilea".

> The locals say without any doubt "Basel" with a long "a".

I always find “long ‘a’” very unclear. Is it long like “ate” or long like “art”?

I swear, the early English grammarians did quite some damage calling the ej sound "long "a". I understand why they did that, but it really screws up any talk about comparing different languages: what pretty much everyone else calls "long "a" is the a:/ɑ: sound (or something very close to it) — which is actually long, compared to a/ɑ.

In the specific context of 'Basel', it's like "art", but I see your point.

The way the Swiss Germans pronounce "Basel", not the way the French and English pronounce "Basle".

It's pronounced baal I believe.

In French but not in Swiss German.

Didn't know that, thanks!