Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “butterlessness” come from?

butterlessness (English) comes from English butterless, from English Butter, from English butt, from Middle English butten, from Anglo-Norman buter, from Old French boter, from Old French bouter, from Frankish bautan — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

butterlessness (English): The condition of being butterless

Definitions

  1. The condition of being butterless

Ancestry of “butterlessness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbutterlessWithout butter
2EnglishButter—
3EnglishbuttThe larger or thicker end of something; the blunt...
4Middle Englishbutten—
5Anglo-Normanbuterto strike, finish
6Old Frenchboterto push, butt, strike; to strike; to push; thrust
7Old Frenchbouterto strike; to hit; to place; to put; to enter
8Frankishbautanto push, strike, beat; to hit, strike; to hit,...
9Proto-West Germanicbautanto beat
10Proto-Germanicbautanąto beat, push
11Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewd-to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →