# 老細
## Chinese
### Etymology 1

老 (lou$^5$, “prefix for nouns with negative impressions or connotations”) + clipping of Japanese 世帯主 (“owner (of household)”), with 世 changing to 細 for a more negative connotation.

#### Pronunciation

* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lou$^5$ sai$^3$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): lau$^2$ lhai$^{1-4}$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lou$^5$ sai$^3$
*** Yale: lóuh sai
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lou$^5$ sai$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lou$^5$ sei$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /lou̯¹³ sɐi̯³³/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: lau$^2$ lhai$^{1-4}$
*** Sinological IPA : /lau⁵⁵ ɬai³³⁻²¹/

#### Noun

老細
* (Cantonese) boss; manager
** 1951 May 6, 《工商晚報》 [The Kung Sheung Evening News]‎:
       wu$^4$ tou$^4$ syut$^3$ gou$^1$ ging$^3$ lou$^5$ sai$^3$, siu$^2$ sam$^2$ ci$^4$ haam$^4$ cam$^4$ hoi$^2$ dai$^2$ [Jyutping]
       (please add an English translation of this usage example)
** 1952 June 30, “由巴士足球隊談到「老細」制度”, in 《大公報》 [Ta Kung Pao]‎:
       daan$^6$ si$^6$ ze$^2$ go$^3$ man$^6$ tai$^4$ nang$^4$ fau$^2$ wok$^6$ dak$^1$ tung$^1$ gwo$^3$ baa$^1$ si$^{6-2}$ dik$^1$ “lou$^5$ sai$^3$” dik$^1$ haau$^2$ leoi$^6$, ze$^2$ si$^6$ zik$^6$ dak$^1$ zyu$^3$ ji$^3$ dik$^1$. [Jyutping]
       But whether this problem can be considered by the "boss" of the KMB Football Team is worth paying attention to.
** 2002 December 12, Alan Mak, Felix Chong, 無間道 [Infernal Affairs], spoken by 陳永仁 [Chen Wing Yan] (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), Media Asia Entertainment Group, Basic Pictures:
       saam$^1$ nin$^4$ zi$^1$ hau$^6$ jau$^6$ saam$^1$ nin$^4$, saam$^1$ nin$^4$ zi$^1$ hau$^6$ jau$^6$ saam$^1$ nin$^4$, sap$^6$ nin$^4$ dou$^1$ lei$^4$ gan$^2$ tau$^{4-2}$ laa$^3$ lou$^5$ sai$^3$! [Jyutping]
       Three years after three years, and then another three years passed. The 10th year is coming soon, chief!
* (Cantonese) term of address for a customer

##### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 老闆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 掌櫃的 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 老闆, 頭家 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 掌櫃的 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 老闆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 老闆 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 老闆 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 老闆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 老闆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 老闆兒, 老闆, 掌櫃的 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 老闆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 掌櫃底 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 老闆兒, 老闆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 老闆兒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 老闆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 老闆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 老闆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 老闆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 老闆 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士, 阿頭 boss |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士, 阿頭 boss, 老頂 boss |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 事頭, 老細 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 老闆 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 事頭, 老細 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 事頭, 老細, 老闆 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 事頭, 老細 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 老闆, 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 老闆, 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Nanning | 老闆, 事頭 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 老闆, 事頭, 阿頭 boss |
| Cantonese | Penang (Guangfu) | 老細 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 老細, 老闆 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 老細 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 老闆 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 老闆 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 頭家, 老闆 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 事頭 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 事頭 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Shuizhai) | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 老闆, 店家 shopkeeper |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Changbu) | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Mianyang) | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 老闆 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 頭家 |
| Hakka | Kuching (Hepo) | 頭家 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 老闆, 掌櫃, 掌櫃的 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 掌櫃子 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 老闆 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 老闆 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 頭家, 老闆 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 老闆, 頭家 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 老闆, 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 老闆, 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 頭家, 老大 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 頭家, 老闆 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 頭家, 阿頭 boss |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 老闆 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 頭家 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 頭家, 老闆 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 頭家 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 老闆 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 老闆 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 老闆 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 老闆 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 老闆 |
| Wu | Danyang | 老闆 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 老闆 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 老闆, 冷士 dated |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 老闆 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 老闆兒 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 老闆 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 老闆 |

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation

* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): láu-sè / láu-sòe
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: láu-sè / láu-sòe
*** Tâi-lô: láu-sè / láu-suè
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lawsex, lawsoex
*** IPA (Xiamen): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /lau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ se⁴¹/, /lau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sue⁴¹/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se¹¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue¹¹/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /lau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/

#### Noun

老細
* (Southern Min) A term used to refer to a familiar younger than the speaker.

### References

* 小川尚義 (OGAWA Naoyoshi), editor (1931–1932), “老細”, in 臺日大辭典 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary]‎, volume 2 (overall work in Hokkien and Japanese), Taihoku: Government-General of Taiwan, →OCLC, page 939