This query is on behalf of a friend who is starting a homemade soap/bath products business. At a local show this weekend where we both displayed our goodies for sale, I noticed that her new business cards advertised her “castille soap,” and I mentioned that “castile” had only one “l.” She said that several of her soapmaking books spelled it that way.
An informal Google poll for “castil[l]e soap” turned up 6780 hits for “castile soap” and 2240 hits for “castille soap” (and a query for “did you mean ‘castile soap’?”.) Merriam-Webster’s Third Unabridged gives the etymology of “castile” as derived from the name of the Spanish Castile region, and does not give “castille” as an alternate spelling. The m-w.com etymology (which agrees with the M-W Tenth Collegiate Dictionary) lists “Middle English castell sope, from Castell Castile.” I’m also wondering about a possible mutation from the Spanish Castilla.
Soap artists, what’s your take? What is the most common usage among soapmakers? My friend does not want to look ignorant on her business cards, but she says that if “castille” can be justified, she would prefer it. I think that most people will be more familiar with the “castile” spelling. What say you?
Don’t know about soap, but I know about dictionaries. Since mine has an entry for “Castile soap,” and does not have “castille” at all, I can only conclude that a bunch of soapmakers are better at making soap than at using English. I fear the only justification may be ignorance followed by imitation.
“Ignorance followed by imitation” was indeed my first thought, but it appears that there are some possible roots that use the double-l spelling, and as a copyeditor (I know dictionaries, too, and own several) I’m aware that many fields have spellings and usages that fall outside layman’s terms (“instalment” in the banking industry, for example). I’d just like to check with people in the trade to see if anyone can provide a defense for the double-l based on tradition or perhaps some etymology I haven’t stumbled across.
Soaper here…I’ve honestly never seen it with one “L” before so didn’t know it was wrong. (I would almost swear the dictionary I have at home says both are acceptable but I’m not at home now. I do remember looking it up for another reason.) I’ve been using two for over a year and no one has bothered to say anything before now. (Of course 95% of people have no idea what a castil(l)e soap is anyway. 100% olive people! Adding coconut oil for lather is cheating!)
Soapmaker here! I have always seen Castile as the correct spelling in the sites that I buy supplies from and books that I have.
Here is a paragraph from Soaps, Shampoos & Other Suds byKelly Reno, p. 2:
"Castile Soap
Castile soap is the oldest and purest soap in existence and can be found in health food stores. Named after the Castile region of Spain, where it originated hundreds of years ago, it is made from water and olive oil and has a white to green color. It comes in cake bars and has virtually no scent, making it an ideal base soap. Castile soap needs to be shredded before melting it with other ingredients."
I’m a dope. It’s not in my dictionary at all! I checked in another dictionary we have and it’s castile. Now I’m wondering where I must’ve seen it with 2 "L"s. (I think it comes from the fact that the soapmaker’s messageboard I frequent usually has messages like: “Wahla! You’re castille scent jives with the natural scent!” etc.) I think I may try to patent the misspelling, a la Miller Lite. Heh. (Just kidding, won’t be a big deal to change.)
