Butcher
The word butcher, one who slaughters animals for market, came to English around 1300 and has its origins in the word buck—a male deer and, earlier, a male goat. The Old English word bucca comes from Proto-Germanic bukkon (the source of Old Saxon buck, Middle Dutch boc, Dutch bok, Old High German boc, German Bock, Old Norse bokkr, Frankish bukk, and Celtic bukkos—he-goat), all from the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root bhugo.
From these sources comes Old French bochier (butcher, executioner)—literally ‘a slaughterer of goats’, from Old French bouc (male goat) and Frankish bukk. The Old English word for butcher is flaescmangere (fleshmonger).
The word butchery (the trade of a butcher, a butcher shop) is from the mid-15th century. The verb ‘to butcher’ (to kill or slaughter animals for food or market) is from the 1560s. Butcher, meaning to bungle or botch or spoil by bad work is from the 1640s. Butcher’s knife is from 1714 and butcher-knife is from 1822.
Butch, meaning a ‘tough youth’ is from 1902 (in particular, George ‘Butch’ Cassidy of movie fame). Butch, in the sense of appearing notably or deliberately or aggressively masculine (sometimes used to describe a particular expression of lesbianism), is from the 1940s. The adjective ‘butch’ is first seen in 1941; e.g., a butch haircut.
From these sources comes Old French bochier (butcher, executioner)—literally ‘a slaughterer of goats’, from Old French bouc (male goat) and Frankish bukk. The Old English word for butcher is flaescmangere (fleshmonger).
The word butchery (the trade of a butcher, a butcher shop) is from the mid-15th century. The verb ‘to butcher’ (to kill or slaughter animals for food or market) is from the 1560s. Butcher, meaning to bungle or botch or spoil by bad work is from the 1640s. Butcher’s knife is from 1714 and butcher-knife is from 1822.
Butch, meaning a ‘tough youth’ is from 1902 (in particular, George ‘Butch’ Cassidy of movie fame). Butch, in the sense of appearing notably or deliberately or aggressively masculine (sometimes used to describe a particular expression of lesbianism), is from the 1940s. The adjective ‘butch’ is first seen in 1941; e.g., a butch haircut.
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