Etymology Dictionary

BASS (1),  the lowest part in a musical composition.  (F.)   Shak. has base, generally printed bass; Tam. of Shrew, iii. 1. 46.   Cotgrave has:  'Bass, contre, the base part in music.'   Sherwood has:  'The base in musick, basse, basse-contre.'—F. basse, fem. of bas, low; cf. Ital. basso.   See Base (1).   Der. bass-relief (Ital. bassorilievo).

BASS (2), BARSE, BRASSE (E.), BREAM (F.);  names of fish.   However applied, these are, radically, the same word.   We make little real difference in sound between words like pass and parse.   A. 'A barse, fishe, tincha;' Levins, 33. 13.   M.E. bace, a fish; Prompt. Parv. p. 20; see Way's note.—A.S. bærs = perca, lupus, a perch, Ælfric's Glossary; Bosworth. + Du. baars, a perch; brasem, a bream. + G. bars, barsch, a perch; brassen, a bream; Flügel's G. Dict.   The O.H.G. form was prahsema; M.H.G. brahsem.   B. Breem occurs in Chaucer, Prol. 350.—O.F. bresme (F. brème).—M.H.G. brahsem (G. brassen).   ¶ The form barse bears some resemblance to perch, but the words are different.   The latter is of Gk. origin, and appears to be from a different root.