Boss Definition

Origin of Boss

• From Middle English bos, bose, boce, from Old French boce (“lump, bulge, protuberance, knot”), from Old Frankish *bottja ("a shoot, sprout"; whence also Italian boccia, bocciolo (“bud”); Italian bozzo (“bump”); French bosse (“bump,hump”)), a derivative of Old Frankish *bōtan (“to push, thrust, strike, beat”), from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push, beat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰÀud-, *bʰÀu- (“to beat, push, strike”). Cognate with Old Frisian botta (“a shock, thrust, blow”), Middle Low German bote, bōte (“bundle of flax”), Old High German bōzo (“bundle of flax”), Old High German bōz (“a blow”). More at beat.

  From Wiktionary

• From Dutch baas, from Middle Dutch baes (“master of a household, friend”), from Old Dutch *baso (“uncle, kinsman”), from Proto-Germanic *baswô, masculine form of Proto-Germanic *baswǭ (“father's sister, aunt, cousin”). Cognate with Middle Low German bās (“supervisor, foreman”), Old Frisian bas (“master”), Old High German basa ("father's sister, cousin"; > German Base (“aunt, cousin”)).

  From Wiktionary

• Akin to English dialectal (southwest England) buss, boss young calf and probably also to busk calf remaining unweaned for too long of unknown origin

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• 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.

  From Wiktionary

• Dutch baas master (from earlier uncle) Old High German basa aunt

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• Middle English boce from Old French

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• Apparently a corruption of bass.

  From Wiktionary