Where does “unbutton” come from?
Unbutton is a English verb formed from the prefix un- (from Latin unus via Proto-Indo-European óynos, meaning "one") combined with button, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European bʰew-, meaning "to grow or swell."
unbutton (English): To open by undoing its buttons; To come open by...
Definitions
- To open by undoing its buttons; To come open by...
Ancestry of “unbutton”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | button | A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener |
| 2 | French | bouton | button; bud; pimple, spot, zit |
| 3 | Italian | bottone | button; bud |
| 4 | Spanish | botón | button; key; bud |
| 5 | Old French | boton | — |
| 6 | Old French | bouter | to strike; to hit; to place; to put; to enter |
| 7 | Frankish | bautan | to push, strike, beat; to hit, strike; to hit,... |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | bautan | to beat |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | bautaną | to beat, push |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewd- | to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |