Where does “but” come from?

but (Middle English) comes from Old English būtan, from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan — outside, externally.

but (Middle English): Alternative form of bote

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of bote

Ancestry of “but”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbūtanwithout, outside of, except, only; outside of
2Proto-West Germanic*biūtanoutside, externally

Words derived from “but”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan →