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Origin and history of botony

botony(n.)

also bottony, "decoration with buds, knobs, or buttons at the extremities," 1570s, in heraldry, from Old French botoné (Modern French boutonné) "covered with buds," past participle of boutonner "to bud," from bouton "bud, button," 12c., from bouter "to strike, push," from Frankish or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *buttan, from PIE root *bhau- "to strike."

also from 1570s

Entries linking to botony

*bhau-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to strike."

It might form all or part of: abut; baste (v.3) "beat with a stick, thrash;" battledore; beat; beetle (n.2) "heavy wooden mallet;" botony; boutonniere; butt (n.1) "thick end;" butt (v.) "strike with the head;" buttocks; button; buttress; confute; halibut; rebut; refute; sackbut; turbot.

It might also be the source of: Latin *futare "to beat" (in compounds); Old English beadu "battle," beatan "to beat," bytl "hammer, mallet."

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