Where does “boss about” come from?
boss about (English) comes from English boss, from Middle English bos, from Old French boce, from Vulgar Latin bottia, from Frankish bottija, from Frankish bōtan, from Proto-Germanic bautaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewd- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
boss about (English): To act in a bossy manner toward , ordering them...
Definitions
- To act in a bossy manner toward , ordering them...
Ancestry of “boss about”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | boss | A person who oversees and directs the work of... |
| 2 | Middle English | bos | — |
| 3 | Old French | boce | swelling |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | bottia | bump |
| 5 | Frankish | bottija | — |
| 6 | Frankish | bōtan | to strike, knock down |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bautaną | to beat, push |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewd- | to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |