Basal

How to spell basal

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce basal

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does basal mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to, situated at, or forming the lowest or foundational part of something.

Basal in a sentence

• The doctor measured her basal metabolic rate before breakfast.

• The geologist mapped the basal layer of rock beneath the sediment.

Where does basal come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is an adjective formed from the noun base plus the suffix -al, which means 'relating to'. The underlying root is the Latin basis, 'a foundation or pedestal', which Latin itself had borrowed from the Greek basis, literally 'a stepping' or 'that on which one stands', from the verb bainein, 'to go or step'. The same Greek root gives us 'basis' and 'basilica', and it explains why the word centres on the idea of a supporting bottom layer. Basal entered English in the nineteenth century chiefly through scientific writing, where it was needed to describe the lowest or foundational part of something, such as a plant stem, a rock layer, or the body's resting metabolism. The single 's' is the usual spelling trap, since speakers often pronounce it with a 'z' sound and may be tempted to double letters; remembering it sits on the root 'base' keeps the spelling steady.

How the word is built

• bas- (from Latin/Greek basis: base, foundation)
• -al (adjective suffix: relating to)