The Boss

[Imagegear]

Baas

Still in use today among the farming community of the Cape Province of South Africa. The coloured labourers on the wine and fruit farms referred to the farm manager or owner as "Baas" in a sign of respect. Since the Dutch East India Company founded the original provisioning station there in the 1600's to revictual Sailing ships travelling to between Europe and the East. . The term has continued in general use to this day, and has travelled across the rest of Southern Africa and elsewhere.

Etymology[edit]

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

IG