Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “butter” come from?

butter (Middle English) comes from Middle English buter, from Old English butere, from Proto-West Germanic buterā, from Latin būtȳrum, from Ancient Greek βούτυρον, from Ancient Greek τυρός, from Proto-Hellenic tūrós, from Proto-Indo-European tuh₂-ró-s — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.

butter (Middle English): Alternative form of buter

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of buter

Ancestry of “butter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbuterbutter
2Old Englishbuterebutter
3Proto-West Germanicbuterābutter
4Latinbūtȳrum—
5Ancient Greekβούτυρονbutter
6Ancient Greekτυρόςcheese
7Proto-Hellenictūrós—
8Proto-Indo-Europeantuh₂-ró-s—
9Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong

Words derived from “butter”

  • butter
  • butternut
  • buttercup
  • butterfat
  • buttercream
  • butterbur
  • butterball
  • butterfish
  • butterwort
  • butterman
  • butterless
  • butterhead
  • butterfingers
  • butterlike
  • butterwoman
  • butteroil
  • butterfingered
  • butterweed
  • buttercrunch
  • buttercuplike
  • nonbutter
  • buttercross
  • butterer
  • butterburger
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- →