Plural of baboo; a title of respect in South Asia (historically used in India), or a term for a clerk or official.
From Hindi 'babu,' derived from Sanskrit, originally meaning 'father' or 'master.' During British colonial rule in India, the term became used for Indian clerks and officials, eventually spreading to English.
The word 'baboo' entered English during the British Raj and shows how colonialism changed vocabulary—what started as a respectful term for a father figure became the label for an entire class of colonial workers.
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