Forms: 6 subbassi, 6–7 subassi, 7 subashie, -sha, subbashaw, -bassawe, -bassa, sou-bashi, sous-basha, 8 sous-bachi, 9 soo-bashee, subasche, súbáshi. [Turkish sūbāshī and çūbāshī, f. çū water + bāsh head, chief. (Some of the Eng. forms indicate an attempt to analyse the word as SUB- 6 + BASHAW.)] A Turkish official in command of a district or village; a ‘police magistrate under the timariot system’ (Redhouse).
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 106. Ye Subassi, & the Meniwe, with the Padre guardian. Ibid., 292. The Admirall … appointeth the Subbassas.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 302. The Cadi and Subassi, if they finde any shops open, or any body eating in the day, set him on an Asse backwards.
1615. Sandys, Trav., 63. The Subashie is as the Constable of a Citie, both to search out and punish offences.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IV. 136. In this Prison, are Bassawes, and Subbassawes imprisoned.
1687. Sous-basha [see SOUS-].
1688. Lond. Gaz., No. 2336/5. The Sub-Bassa of this City.
1718. Ozell, trans. Tournefort’s Voy., II. 279. I promis’d them to pay the Tax for them, if the Sous-Bachi should demand it.
1819. T. Hope, Anast. (1820), II. 377. A Tchawoosh … summoned me before the Soo-bashee.
1823–4. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), XV. 509. A Jerí-báshi (Captain), Jerí-sureji (Corporal), and Súbáshi (Sergeant) … who have particular lands assigned to them on which they are obliged to reside.
1847. Mrs. A. Kerr, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Servia, 115. In the villages, Subasches appeared as executors of the judicial and magisterial power.
