[...] the original name Basili, derived
from the Greek Basileys, meaning 'king', was the name used
by the Roman family from which we descended. The name changed various
times after the Basili moved to Venice, Trieste, and other parts of Italy. Early versions were Basilio, Basegi, Basello, Baseio, Basei, Baseo, Basileo,
Basejo, Wasileo, Basegio, Basilejo, and Baseggio. [...] Many
of these variations are probably due to the different pronunciations and
letters used in the parts of Italy where the family lived. For example,
Basegio, when pronounced in Venetian, becomes Baseio. The 'correct'
usage eventually became Baseggio. In more recent times, the name has occasionally devolved to Basegio, Basseggio,
Beseggio, and Bazeggio. This has typically been the result of simplifications
or misspellings by government authorities.
Read Franco's full article here. |