Word origin
[‹ Yiddish
bal(e)boste, bal(e)buste proprietress, housekeeper, housewife, equiv. to
bal(e)bos, bal(e)bus proprietor, owner, master (cf. Heb
baʻal habayth master of the house) +
-te fem. n. suffix (cf. Aram
-ta, equiv. to
-t fem. suffix +
-a definite article)
]