Etymology: < Anglo-Norman basse, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French base (French base ) foundation (early 12th cent.), pedestal, base of a column, bottom, ground (13th cent.), base of a geometrical figure (1484) < classical Latin basis lowest part of any architectural structure, foundation, pedestal, (in medical use) point of attachment (of an organ or tumour), (in astronomy) lower extremity (of a constellation), (in geometry) base (of a triangle), chord (of an arc), in post-classical Latin also fundamental principle (Vulgate) < ancient Greek βάσις step, stepping, foot, pedestal, (in geometry) base (of a solid or plane figure), in Hellenistic Greek also (in medical use) point of attachment (of an organ or tumour), foundation, basement < the stem of βαίνειν to go ( < the same Indo-European base as come v.) + -σις -sis suffix. Compare Italian base (a1446 as basa).Some senses of the English word appear to show influence directly from Latin basis; compare also the parallel borrowing basis n. With the later sense development compare also later sense developments in French (mostly first recorded later than corresponding uses in English): Middle French, French base basis, fundamental principles of an abstract system (1598), French base principal ingredient of a medicine (1672), chemical base (1808), territory on which an army relies for supply and security (1834), military supply base (1918), collection of members of a social group without specific responsibilities (1933). Semantic association with base adj. and related words may also have influenced the sense development, and may also have reinforced later examples of forms with a short vowel. The modern pronunciation with final unvoiced /s/ (rather than the expected /z/) probably results partly from association with base adj. and partly from association with basis n.; for historical variation compare E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §356. With branch III. compare earlier base n.³ and discussion at that entry. Compare also base n.⁴, which probably shows a specific sense development of this word. The following example apparently shows a vernacular word in a Latin context, and may show an earlier example of the English word (probably in sense 11), although it perhaps more likely shows the Anglo-Norman word:1317 Manorial Documents in Mod. Philol. (1936) 34 59 j quercus prostrati in Hescoo pro Dorstalles et baces ad dictam bercariam.

Etymology: Variant of barse n., apparently showing lengthening of a before rs prior to assimilatory loss of r . Transmission via or influence from Anglo-Norman bars ( < Middle English) could perhaps explain the long vowel. Compare bass n.¹, without such lengthening.

Etymology: Probably a specific use of base n.¹ (compare later base n.¹ III.), although perhaps alternatively compare to bring base at base adj. and n.⁶ Phrases 1; however, compare also Anglo-Norman and Middle French barres , bares , plural (13th cent.), apparently naming the same game, and apparently showing a metaphorical use of the plural of barre bar n.¹; it is perhaps possible that the English name could show the same origin, and thus perhaps a similar phonological development to base n.² For later variation between base and bar or bars in the name of this game compare prison base n., prison bar n., prisoners' bars n., prisoners' base n.For an explicit equation of this game with Middle French barres compare:1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 196/1 Bace playe, jev aux barres.Quot. 1440 similarly shows equation of the English word with post-classical Latin barrus, (plural) barri, apparently showing a borrowing of Anglo-Norman and Middle French barres.

Etymology: Probably originally a specific use of base n.¹ With sense 2 perhaps compare tasse n.¹