Etymology of the English word butter
the English word
butterderived from the Old French word
bouterusing the Proto-Indo-European prefix
bhau- (to hit)
derived from the Frankish root
*bōtanderived from the Latin word
butyrumderived from the Greek word
bouturon, βούτυρον
derived from the Greek word
bous, βοῦς (an ox (as grazing); an animal of that species ('beef'))
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*gʷou-Derivations in English
butterbur,
buttercream,
butterfat,
buttermilk,
butterpaste,
butterweed,
butterwort,
butty,
butterfingers,
butterfly,
buttery,
butterscotch,
buttered,
butteringCognates
Dutch
boter, French
beurre, German
Butter, Italian
burro, Latin
butyrum, Provençal
buire, Yiddish
puterUsage
Word found in Modern English
