boot

boot · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰewt-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*buttaz
3. Frankish · derived from*butt
4. Old French · derived frombot“club-foot”
5. Old French · derived frombote“a high, thick shoe”
6. Middle English · inherited fromboote
7. English todayboot

From Middle English boote, bote (“shoe”), from Old French bote (“a high, thick shoe”). Of obscure origin, but probably related to Old French bot (“club-foot”), bot (“fat, short, blunt”), from Old Frankish *butt, from Proto-Germanic *buttaz, *butaz (“cut off, short, numb, blunt”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewt-, *bʰewd- (“to strike, push, shock”); if so, a doublet of butt. Compare Old Norse butt (“stump”), Low German butt (“blunt, plump”), Old English bytt (“small piece of land”), buttuc (“end”). More at buttock and debut.

boot · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰed-“good”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bōtō“atonement, improvement”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*bōtu
4. Old English · inherited frombōt“help, relief, advantage”
5. Middle English · inherited fromboote
6. English todayboot

From Middle English boote, bote, bot, from Old English bōt (“help, relief, advantage”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōtu, from Proto-Germanic *bōtō (“atonement, improvement”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- (“good”). Akin to Old Norse bót (“bettering, remedy”) (Danish bod), Gothic 𐌱𐍉𐍄𐌰 (bōta), German Buße. Doublet of bote (a borrowing from Middle English).

boot · noun, verb³

Clipping of bootstrap.

boot · noun⁴

From bootleg (“to make or sell illegally”), by shortening.

Boot · proper noun⁵

* As an English surname, from the noun boot. * As a Dutch and German surname, from Bote (“messenger”), compare Bode. Also an occupational surname for a boatman, from boot.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• to mid-17th c. Repair work; the act of fixing structures or buildings.
• to mid-16th c. A medicinal cure or remedy.