boss

boss · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰā-
2. Proto-Germanic*bō-?
3. Proto-Germanic*baswô
4. Proto-West Germanic*baswō
5. Old Dutch*baso
6. Middle Dutchbaes
7. Dutchbaas
8. English todayboss

Borrowed from Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-West Germanic *baswō, from Proto-Germanic *baswô (“uncle”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *ba-, *bō- (“father, older male relative”), source also of the English terms babe, boy, bub, bully. Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), hence Saterland Frisian Boas (“boss”), Old High German basa (“father's sister, cousin”), hence German Base (“aunt, cousin”). Originally a term of respect used to address an older relative. Later, in New Amsterdam, it began to mean a person in charge who is not a master. The video game sense is borrowed from Japanese ボス (bosu), borrowed from English boss.

boss · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bautaną“to hit, strike, beat”
2. Frankish · derived from*bottja
3. Old French · derived fromboce“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”
4. Middle English · inherited frombos, bose, boce
5. English todayboss

From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Frankish *bottja, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of beat; see there for more.

boss · noun³

Apparently a corruption of bast.

Words from the same roots