Etymology

butler

but·ler
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Today it means: A manservant having charge of wines and liquors. Full definition →

Middle English butler ← Old French buttiler ← Medieval Latin botellārius
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butler · noun, verb1

  1. Medieval Latin · derived frombotellārius
  2. Old French · derived frombuttiler
  3. Middle English · inherited frombutler
  4. English todaybutler

From Middle English butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er. Piecewise doublet of bottler.

Butler · proper noun2

  1. French · derived fromBoutilier, Boutillier, Bouthillier
  2. Middle English · inherited fromButler
  3. English todayButler

* (English surname): From Middle English Butler. * (Anglicized surname): From French Boutilier, Boutillier, Bouthillier. * (placename): From the surname

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.