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"Boy-see"
If you want to sound like you're a native of the area, pronounce Boise, "boy-see." Only outsiders say "boy-zee."
Legend has it that the name comes from the first French mountain men who arrived here after crossing the dry, treeless Snake River plain. They were so thrilled when they saw the cottonwoods lining the Boise River that they cried out, "Les bois! Les bois!" ("The trees! The trees!").
Where the final "e" in Boise came from is anybody's guess. You'll find lots of "bois" (pronounced "bwah") in Boise language. Even the racetrack is at Les Bois Park.
Tags: sound legend treeless final mountain arrived cottonwoods language