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Origin and history of buttocks

buttocks(n.)

"the two protuberances which form the rump in men and animals," c. 1300, probably from Old English buttuc "end, short piece of land," from Proto-Germanic *butaz, from PIE root *bhau- "to strike," thus related to butt (n.1).

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to buttocks

butt(n.1)

"thick end," c. 1400, butte, which probably is related to Middle Dutch and Dutch bot, Low German butt "blunt, dull," Old Norse bauta, from Proto-Germanic *buttan, from PIE root *bhau- "to strike." Or related somehow to Old English buttuc "end, small piece of land," and Old Norse butr "short," from Proto-Germanic *butaz, which is from the same PIE root. Also probably mixed with Old French bot "extremity, end," which also is from Germanic (compare butt (n.3)). The meaning "remainder of a smoked cigarette" is recorded by 1847.

buttock(n.)

late 13c., singular of buttocks (q.v.).

*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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