baboos
|ba-boo|
/bəˈbuː/
(baboo)
Indian clerk / respectful form of address
Etymology
'baboo' originates from Hindi, specifically the word 'bābū' (बाबू), where the root was a respectful form of address for a man (like 'father' or 'sir').
'baboo' entered English in the 18th–19th century from Hindi/Bengali 'bābū'; it was adopted into colonial English as 'baboo' (also spelled 'babu') and used to refer to native clerks and officials in British India.
Initially, it meant a polite honorific ('father'/'sir'); over time in English it came to mean specifically a native clerk or official and sometimes took on a satirical or derogatory nuance ('pompous or fawning official').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a respectful form of address for an Indian man (originally an honorific, equivalent to 'mister' or 'sir').
In some older texts, respected village elders were called baboos.
Synonyms
Noun 2
an Indian clerk or native official, especially as referred to in British colonial contexts.
During the colonial administration the office employed several baboos to keep records.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/24 01:30