Baas
/bɑːs/noun
A South African English or Afrikaans term for a boss, master, or employer.
Did you know?During apartheid, baas was widely used by Black South Africans when addressing white employers or authorities, giving an ordinary word a deeply racialized social charge.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
Dutch
baas
“A master, employer, or person in authority; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
17th–18th Century
Cape Dutch
baas
“A master or superior in the Dutch-speaking Cape Colony.”
18th–19th Century
Afrikaans
baas
“A boss, master, or employer.”
19th Century
South African English
baas
“A borrowed term for a white employer, overseer, or authority figure.”
Modern English
English
baas
“A South African term for a boss or master, often retaining historical racial and colonial overtones.”