Where does “but” come from?

but (Old French) comes from Old French butte, from Frankish but, from Proto-Germanic *butą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

but (Old French): aim, goal, end, target; end, aim, purpose

Definitions

  1. aim, goal, end, target; end, aim, purpose

Ancestry of “but”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchbuttebut, mark; mound, knoll, target
2Frankishbutstump, log
3Proto-Germanic*butą—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewd-to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

Words derived from “but”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰewd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *butą →