Where does “Butler” come from?
Butler comes from Middle English boteler, from Old French butiller, formed with the Old French agent suffix -ier from Latin -are and -arius, ultimately derived from Latin -lus and Old Latin -os.
Butler (English): A placename
Definitions
- A placename
Ancestry of “Butler”, step by step
Butler traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English butler
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | butler | — |
| 2 | Old French | butiller | butler |
| 3 | Old French | boteille | bottle |
| 4 | Latin | butticula | bottle |
| 5 | Latin | buttis | cask, barrel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πυτίνη | a flagon, flask |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeHw- | to swell, puff |
via French Boutilier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Boutilier | — |