An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Bütte

by Friedrich Kluge

Bütte, Butte, f., from the equiv. MidHG. büte, bütte, büten, OHG. butin, f., ‘tub, butt’; the cognate LG. and E. words contain an abnormal medial t; AS. bytt, ‘flagon,’ E. butt, OIc. bytta. These indicate that the HG. word was borrowed in the OHG. period, when the shifting of t to tz was already accomplished. In the cognates the meaning varies, ‘leather pipe, cask,’ just as in the Rom. class from which they were borrowed — Span. bota, ‘leather pipe,’ Fr. botte, ‘butt.’ To OHG. butin (MidLat. butina), MidHG. büten, the ModHG. deriv. Büttner (from MidHG. bütenœre), ‘cooper’ (likewise a frequent surname), is also related.