baron

See also: Baron, barón, barōn, báron, and bâron

English

Etymology

From Middle English baroun, from Old French baron, Medieval Latin barō, from Frankish *barō (“servant, man, warrior”), perhaps from Proto-Germanic *barô (“carrier, bearer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear”). Cognate with Old High German baro (“human being, man, freeman”), Old English bora (“a man who bears responsibility, one who is in charge, a ruler”), and perhaps to Old English beorn (“man, warrior”). Used in early Germanic law in the sense of "man, human being".

A Celtic origin has also been suggested, due to the occurrence of a Latin barones (“military official”) as early as the first century (Cornutus, On Persius' Fifth Satire). However, the OED takes this hypothetical Proto-Celtic *bar- (“hero”) to be a figment.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbæɹən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: bă'rən
  • (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /ˈbæɹən/
  • (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛəɹən/
• Rhymes: -æɹən
• Homophone: barren

Noun

baron (plural barons, feminine baroness)

1. The male ruler of a barony.
2. A male member of the lowest rank of English nobility (the equivalent rank in Scotland is lord).

   Coordinate terms: don, duke, earl, lord, prince, baronet

3. (by extension) A person of great power in society, especially in business and politics.

   Synonyms: magnate, tycoon; see also Thesaurus:important person

   • c. 1948, George Orwell, Such, Such Were the Joys:

     There were a few exotics among them — some South American boys, sons of Argentine beef barons, one or two Russians, and even a Siamese prince, or someone who was described as a prince.

   • 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist‎^[1], volume 408, number 8848:

     British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far.

4. (UK, prison slang) A prisoner who gains power and influence by lending or selling goods such as tobacco.
   • 1960, Hugh J. Klare, Anatomy of Prison, page 33:

     The first thing a baron does is to accumulate a supply of tobacco. He spends every penny he can earn on laying it in […]

   • 1961, Peter Baker, Time out of life, page 51:

     Nevertheless, from my own agonies of the first few months, after which I did not miss smoking at all, I could appreciate the need of others. It was in this atmosphere of craving that the 'barons' thrived. Barons are prisoners who lend tobacco.

   • 1980, Leonard Michaels, Christopher Ricks, The State of the Language, page 525:

     In British prisons tobacco still remains the gold standard which is made to back every transaction and promise. The official allowance is barely sufficient for individual smoking needs, but tobacco may expensively be borrowed or bought from a baron, possibly through his runner.

5. A baron of beef, a cut made up of a double sirloin.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 34”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

     Such portentous appetites had Queequeg and Tashtego, that to fill out the vacancies made by the previous repast, often the pale Dough-Boy was fain to bring on a great baron of salt-junk, seemingly quarried out of the solid ox.

6. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Euthalia.
7. (law, obsolete) A husband.

   Coordinate term: wife

   baron and feme ― husband and wife

Derived terms

• baron and femme
• baron-bailie
• baron court
• baronship
• barony
• beer baron
• court-baron
• court baron
• covert baron
• drug baron
• oil baron
• porn baron
• robber-baron
• robber baron
• tech baron

 

Related terms

• baroness
• baronetcy
• baronial
• baronne

Translations

male ruler of a barony

• Albanian: arhond m
• Arabic: بارون‎ m (bārōn)
• Armenian: բարոն (hy) (baron)
• Asturian: barón (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: baron
• Bulgarian: баро́н m (barón)
• Catalan: baró (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 男爵 (zh) (nánjué)

• Czech: baron (cs) m
• Danish: baron (da) c
• Dutch: baron (nl) m
• Esperanto: barono (eo)
• Estonian: parun, vabahärra
• Faroese: barónur m
• Finnish: vapaaherra (fi), paroni (fi)
• French: baron (fr) m
• Galician: barón (gl) m
• German: Baron (de) m, Freiherr (de) m
• Greek: βαρόνος (el) m (varónos)
• Hawaiian: pālona, barona
• Hungarian: báró (hu)
• Icelandic: barón m
• Ido: barono (io), baronulo (io)
• Ingrian: baroni
• Irish: barún m, barúin m pl
• Italian: barone (it) m
• Japanese: 男爵 (ja) (だんしゃく, danshaku)
• Khmer: ឃុន (km) (kʰun)
• Korean: 남작 (ko) (namjak)
• Latin: (Medieval) barō m
• Latvian: barons, brīvkungs m
• Lithuanian: baronas (lt) m
• Macedonian: барон m (baron)
• Manchu: ᠠᠰᡥᠠᠨ ᡳ
  ᡥᠠᡶᠠᠨ (ashan-i hafan)
• Maori: parena
• Marathi: बॅरन m (bĕran)
• Norman: bâron m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: baron (no) m

  Nynorsk: baron m

• Old English: þegn m
• Ottoman Turkish: بارون‎ (baron)
• Persian: بارون‎ (fa) (bâron)
• Polish: baron (pl) m
• Portuguese: barão (pt) m
• Russian: баро́н (ru) m (barón)
• Sicilian: baruni m
• Slovene: baron m
• Spanish: barón (es) m
• Swedish: baron (sv) c
• Thai: แบรอน, บารอน
• Turkish: baron (tr)
• Uzbek: baron (uz)
• Vietnamese: nam tước (vi)
• Volapük: baonan (vo)
• Yiddish: באַראָן‎ m (baron)

person of power and influence

• Macedonian: властелин m (vlastelin)
• Polish: baron (pl) m

References

• "baron n.", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989; first published in New English Dictionary, 1885.

Anagrams

• Abron, Barno, Bonar, Borna, NORBA, Nabor, Orban, Rabon, aborn, bonar

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Borrowed from French baron.

Noun

baron (definite accusative baronu, plural baronlar)

1. baron

Declension

Declension of baron
	singular	plural
nominative	baron	baronlar
definite accusative	baronu	baronları
dative	barona	baronlara
locative	baronda	baronlarda
ablative	barondan	baronlardan
definite genitive	baronun	baronların

Possessive forms of baron
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronum	baronlarım
sənin (“your”)	baronun	baronların
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronu	baronları
bizim (“our”)	baronumuz	baronlarımız
sizin (“your”)	baronunuz	baronlarınız
onların (“their”)	baronu or baronları	baronları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronumu	baronlarımı
sənin (“your”)	baronunu	baronlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronunu	baronlarını
bizim (“our”)	baronumuzu	baronlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	baronunuzu	baronlarınızı
onların (“their”)	baronunu or baronlarını	baronlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronuma	baronlarıma
sənin (“your”)	baronuna	baronlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronuna	baronlarına
bizim (“our”)	baronumuza	baronlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	baronunuza	baronlarınıza
onların (“their”)	baronuna or baronlarına	baronlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronumda	baronlarımda
sənin (“your”)	baronunda	baronlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronunda	baronlarında
bizim (“our”)	baronumuzda	baronlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	baronunuzda	baronlarınızda
onların (“their”)	baronunda or baronlarında	baronlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronumdan	baronlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	baronundan	baronlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronundan	baronlarından
bizim (“our”)	baronumuzdan	baronlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	baronunuzdan	baronlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	baronundan or baronlarından	baronlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	baronumun	baronlarımın
sənin (“your”)	baronunun	baronlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	baronunun	baronlarının
bizim (“our”)	baronumuzun	baronlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	baronunuzun	baronlarınızın
onların (“their”)	baronunun or baronlarının	baronlarının

Dutch

Etymology

Readjustment from earlier baroen through modern French influence, from Middle Dutch baroen, from Old French baron, from Frankish *barō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baːˈrɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ba‧ron
• Rhymes: -ɔn

Noun

baron m (plural baronnen, diminutive baronnetje n, feminine barones)

1. baron, a specific aristocratic title
2. a magnate, especially a wealthy and influential (industrial) entrepreneur

Derived terms

• barones
• oliebaron
• suikerbaron
• textielbaron

Related terms

• baronie

Descendants

• → Indonesian: baron
• → Javanese: ꦧꦫꦺꦴꦤ꧀ (baron)

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbaron]
• Rhymes: -aron
• Hyphenation: ba‧ron

Noun

baron

1. accusative singular of baro

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French baron, from Old French baron, from or corresponding to Late Latin or Medieval Latin barōnem, possibly from Frankish *baro (“freeman”) or of other Germanic origin; alternatively, of ultimately Celtic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ʁɔ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔ̃

Noun

baron m (plural barons, feminine baronne)

1. baron, lord, noble landowner

Descendants

• → Arabic: بارون‎ (bārōn)
• → Azerbaijani: baron
• → Ottoman Turkish: بارون‎ (baron)
  • Turkish: baron
• → Persian: بارون‎ (bâron)
• → Russian: баро́н (barón)
• → Uzbek: baron

Further reading

• “baron”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• borna

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch baron, from Middle Dutch baroen, from Old French baron, from Frankish *barō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbarɔn]
• Hyphenation: ba‧ron

Noun

baron (first-person possessive baronku, second-person possessive baronmu, third-person possessive baronnya)

1. baron: the male ruler of a barony; a title for European noblemen.

Further reading

• “baron” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Javanese

Romanization

baron

1. Romanization of ꦧꦫꦺꦴꦤ꧀

Middle English

Etymology 1

Adjective

baron

1. Alternative form of bareyne

Etymology 2

Noun

baron

1. Alternative form of baroun

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French baron.

Noun

baron m (plural barons)

1. baron (nobleman)

Descendants

• French: baron

Norman

Noun

baron m (plural barons)

1. Alternative form of bâron

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse barún, from Old French baron, from Frankish *barō.

Noun

baron m (definite singular baronen, indefinite plural baroner, definite plural baronene)

1. a baron

Related terms

• baronesse

References

• “baron” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse barún, from Old French baron, from Frankish *barō.

Noun

baron m (definite singular baronen, indefinite plural baronar, definite plural baronane)

1. a baron

Related terms

• baronesse

References

• “baron” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bazōną.

Verb

baron

1. to reveal, to make public

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: bāren
  • Dutch: baren

Further reading

• “baron”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old French

Alternative forms

• baroun, barun, ber

Etymology

From or corresponding to Late Latin bārō, possibly from Frankish *barō (“freeman”) or of other Germanic origin; alternatively, ultimately of Celtic origin. The nominative form ber corresponds to the nominative barō.

Noun

baron oblique singular, m (oblique plural barons, nominative singular ber, nominative plural baron)

1. lord, baron (title of nobility)
2. (by extension) husband

Synonyms

• (husband): seignor, mari

Descendants

• Middle French: barom
  • French: baron (historical)
    • Haitian Creole: baron
• Norman: bâron
• Picard: barôn
• Walloon: baron
• → Middle Armenian: պարոն (paron)
  • Armenian: պարոն (paron)
• → Middle English: baroun, baron, barone, baroon, barown, barowne, barun, beron
  • English: baron
  • Scots: baron
• → Middle Low German: barōn
• → Middle Dutch: baroen
  • Dutch: baron (readjustment)
• → Middle High German: barūn, barōne
  • German: Baron (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Norse: barún
  • Icelandic: barón
  • Norwegian: baron
  • Swedish: baron
  • Danish: baron
• → Middle Irish: barún
  • Irish: barún

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

From Late Latin bā̆rō, further origin uncertain, but likely from Proto-Germanic.

Noun

baron m (plural barões)

1. man (adult male human)

   Synonym: home

   • 13th c, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Fueros Municipales de Santiago y de su tierra, page 699:

     aquel pecado escumungado que fazen os barones unos con outros

     that excommunicated sin that men do with one another

   • c. 1295, Ramón Lorenzo, editor, La traducción gallega de la Crónica General y de la Crónica de Castilla, Ourense: I.E.O.P.F, page 814:

     ca esta (he) muy boa et nobre rreyna dona Berĩguela co[m] tamana aguça gardou sempre este fillo et llj meteu no curaçõ feyto de obras de piedade de ome barõ, mãçebo et nino, et todo linagẽ de omes -esto he barõ et moller-

     because this very noble and excellent queen, Lady Berenguela, with great care protected her son and put in his heart acts of piety of adult man, young man and boy, and of all the lineage of men - that is, man and woman -

Descendants

• Galician: varón
• Portuguese: varão

Further reading

• “baron” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “baron” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from French baron, from Middle French baron, from Old French baron, from or corresponding to Late Latin or Medieval Latin barō, barōnem, probably ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.rɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -arɔn
• Syllabification: ba‧ron

Noun

baron m pers (diminutive baronek, feminine baronessa)

1. (historical) baron, lord (the male ruler of a barony)

Noun

baron m pers

1. (figuratively) baron, lord (a person of great power in society, especially in business and politics)

   Synonym: potentat

Declension

Declension of baron

	singular	plural
nominative	baron	baronowie/baroni
genitive	barona	baronów
dative	baronowi	baronom
accusative	barona	baronów
instrumental	baronem	baronami
locative	baronie	baronach
vocative	baronie	baronowie/baroni

Derived terms

adjectives

• baronowski
• baroński

 

nouns

• baronat
• baronek
• baronet
• baronia
• baronostwo
• baronowa
• baronówna
• baroństwo

 

Further reading

• baron in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• baron in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French baron.

Noun

baron m (plural baroni)

1. baron

Declension

Declension of baron

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) baron	baronul	(niște) baroni	baronii
genitive/dative	(unui) baron	baronului	(unor) baroni	baronilor
vocative	baronule		baronilor

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Derived from Old French baron.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bǎroːn/
• Hyphenation: ba‧ron

Noun

bàrōn m (Cyrillic spelling ба̀ро̄н)

1. baron (title of nobility)

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French baron.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

baron c (feminine: baronessa)

1. a baron, a ruler of a barony

Declension

Declension of baron
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	baron	baronen	baroner	baronerna
Genitive	barons	baronens	baroners	baronernas

Further reading

• baron in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
• baron in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Anagrams

• banor, bonar, borna, nabor

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish barón.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ba‧ron
• IPA^(key): /baˈɾon/, [bɐˈɾon]

Noun

barón

1. baron (title of nobility)

Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish بارون‎ (baron), from French baron.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈɾon/
• Hyphenation: ba‧ron

Noun

baron (definite accusative baronu, plural baronlar)

1. baron (title of nobility in Europe between knight and viscount)

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	baron
Definite accusative	baronu
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	baron	baronlar
Definite accusative	baronu	baronları
Dative	barona	baronlara
Locative	baronda	baronlarda
Ablative	barondan	baronlardan
Genitive	baronun	baronların
Predicative forms Singular Plural 1st singular baronum baronlarım 2nd singular baronsun baronlarsın 3rd singular baron barondur baronlar baronlardır 1st plural baronuz baronlarız 2nd plural baronsunuz baronlarsınız 3rd plural baronlar baronlardır

Derived terms

• baronluk

 

Related terms

• kont
• lord
• şövalye

 

Further reading

• baron in Turkish dictionaries at Türk Dil Kurumu
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “baron”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 472

Uzbek

Etymology

Borrowed from French baron.

Noun

baron (plural baronlar)

1. baron

Declension

Declension of baron

	singular	plural
nominative	baron	baronlar
genitive	baronning	baronlarning
dative	baronga	baronlarga
definite accusative	baronni	baronlarni
locative	baronda	baronlarda
ablative	barondan	baronlardan

Possessive forms of baron

my	singular	plural
nominative	baronim	baronlarim
genitive	baronimning	baronlarimning
dative	baronimga	baronlarimga
definite accusative	baronimni	baronlarimni
locative	baronimda	baronlarimda
ablative	baronimdan	baronlarimdan
your	singular	plural
nominative	baroning	baronlaring
genitive	baroningning	baronlaringning
dative	baroningga	baronlaringga
definite accusative	baroningni	baronlaringni
locative	baroningda	baronlaringda
ablative	baroningdan	baronlaringdan
her/his/its	singular	plural
nominative	baroni	baronlari
genitive	baronining	baronlarining
dative	baroniga	baronlariga
definite accusative	baronini	baronlarini
locative	baronida	baronlarida
ablative	baronidan	baronlaridan
our	singular	plural
nominative	baronimiz	baronlarimiz
genitive	baronimizning	baronlarimizning
dative	baronimizga	baronlarimizga
definite accusative	baronimizni	baronlarimizni
locative	baronimizda	baronlarimizda
ablative	baronimizdan	baronlarimizdan
your	singular	plural
nominative	baroningiz	baronlaringiz
genitive	baroningizning	baronlaringizning
dative	baroningizga	baronlaringizga
definite accusative	baroningizni	baronlaringizni
locative	baroningizda	baronlaringizda
ablative	baroningizdan	baronlaringizdan
their	singular	plural
nominative	baroni	baronlari
genitive	baronining	baronlarining
dative	baroniga	baronlariga
definite accusative	baronini	baronlarini
locative	baronida	baronlarida
ablative	baronidan	baronlaridan