abut

abut · verb¹

1. Old French · derived frombut“end, aim, purpose”
2. Old French · derived fromabuter
3. Medieval Latin · derived fromabuttare
4. Middle English · inherited fromabutten
5. English todayabut

From Middle English abutten, from Medieval Latin abuttare and Old French abuter, aboter, abouter (“to touch at one end, to come to an end, aim, reach”), from Old French but (“end, aim, purpose”); akin to Old Norse butr (“piece of wood”). Equivalent to a- (“to”) + butt (“boundary mark”).

abut · verb²

1. Old French · derived fromaboter“to touch at one end, border on”
2. Middle English · inherited fromabutten
3. English todayabut

From Middle English abutten, from Old French aboter (“to touch at one end, border on”), abouter (“to join end to end”), abuter (“to buttress, to put an end to”), from a- (“towards”) + bout (“end”), boter, bouter (“to strike”), buter (“to strike, finish”). Equivalent to a- (“towards, change to”) + butt (“push”)

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• First attested around 1350 to 1470. To touch by means of a mutual border, edge or end; to border on; to lie adjacent (to); to be contiguous (said of an area of land)
• First attested in the mid-19ᵗʰ century. To border upon; be next to; abut on; be adjacent to.
• First attested in the late 16ᵗʰ century. To lean against on one end; to end on, of a part of a building or wall.