Etymograph

English

bouton

Bouton comes from French bouton ‘button’, from Frankish *bautō ‘that which pushes up, bump, knob’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bautaną.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bautaną‘to beat, knock, bump, push’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bautan‘to beat, push’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*bautō‘that which pushes up, bump, knob’reconstructed
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*bautōnemreconstructed
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bouton
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘button’
  8. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bautaną‘to beat, knock, bump, push’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bautan‘to beat, push’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700*bautō‘that which pushes up, bump, knob’reconstructed
  4. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*bautōnemreconstructed
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bouton
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘button’
  8. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *bautaną ‘to beat, knock, bump, push’

boss, butt, beetle, 5 more

through Proto-West Germanic *bautan ‘to beat, push’

beat, button, rebut, 3 more

Today it means

noun A bud-like swelling, especially one at the end of an axon.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *bautaną / bouton

Shirt and support for this word