Where does “button” come from?
Button derives from Middle English butonen, from Old French boton, from Old French bouter, from Frankish buttan, from Proto-Germanic bautaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰew-.
button (English): A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener
Definitions
- A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener
Ancestry of “button”, step by step
button traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French bouton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | bouton | button; bud; pimple, spot, zit |
| 2 | Italian | bottone | button; bud |
| 3 | Spanish | botón | button; key; bud |
| 4 | Old French | boton | — |
| 5 | Old French | bouter | to strike; to hit; to place; to put; to enter |
| 6 | Frankish | bautan | to push, strike, beat; to hit, strike; to hit,... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | bautan | to beat |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | bautaną | to beat, push |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewd- | to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |
via Middle English butonen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | butonen | Alternative form of botonen |