Americans Adopted Boss to Avoid Saying Master
A boss is a person in charge. English took the word from Dutch for a reason that had everything to do with slavery.
A boss is a person who gives orders to workers. American English took it from Dutch *baas* in the 1600s, and it spread in the 1800s for a specific reason: free workers disliked calling anyone *master*, a word bound up with slavery. *Boss* let a man have a superior without having a master. A second, unrelated *boss* is a raised stud on a shield or ceiling, from Old French, which is why the centre of a shield is its boss.
- A person in charge. *Ask the boss.*
- To order about. *Stop bossing me.*
- A raised stud. *A ceiling boss.*
- Bossy — domineering. *Bossy.*
- Dutch — *baas*, a master. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | boss | The boss. |
| Plural | bosses | Bosses. |
| Verb | boss | Bossing. |
| Adjective | bossy | Bossy. |
| Dutch | baas | A master. |
- The boss approved the plan.Work.
- Stop bossing your brother about.Verb.
- The word came from Dutch.Etymology.
Dutch words in American English
- Boss — from *baas*, a master
- Cookie — from *koekje*, a little cake
- Stoop — from *stoep*, a porch step
- Coleslaw — from *koolsla*, cabbage salad
- Yankee — probably from a Dutch given name
Dutch *baas*, a master, adopted in American English in the 1600s. The stud sense is Old French *boce*, a swelling.
Why did Americans adopt boss?
Free workers avoided calling an employer master, a word associated with slavery. Boss gave them a neutral term.
What is the boss of a shield?
The raised central stud. That is a separate word, from Old French, meaning a swelling or protuberance.