Etymology Dictionary

BASE (1),  low, humble.  (F.,—L.)   M. E. bass, Gower, C. A. i. 98; base, Sir T. More, Works, p. 361 d.—F. bas, m. basse, fem.—Low Lat. bassus (Brachet).  B. Probably of Celtic origin; cf. W. bas, shallow, low, flat; Corn. bas, shallow, esp. used of shallow water; Bret. baz, shallow (used of water).  Also Corn. basse, to fall, lower, abate; W. basu, to make shallow, to lower.   C. However, Diez regards bassus as a genuine Latin word, meaning 'stout, fat' rather than 'short, low;' he says, and truly, that Bassus was a Lat. personal name at an early period.   Der. base-ness, base-minded, &c.; a-base, a-base-ment; de-base; base-ment (F. sou-bassement, Ital. bassamento, lit. abasement).   And see Bass (1).

BASE (2),  a foundation.  (F.,—L.,—Gk.)   M. E. bas, baas; Chaucer, on the Astrolabie, ed. Skeat, ii. 41. 2; ii. 43. 2.—F. base.—Lat. basis.—Gk. βάσις, a going, a pedestal.—✔BA, to go, where β stands for g; cf. Skt. gá, to go (Curtius).—✔GA or GAM, to go; Fick, i. 63.   Der. base-less, base-line.   Doublet, basis.