English word origin

Etymology of butoh

From Japanese 舞踏 (butō). The trailing “h” is to indicate the pronunciation; compare bokeh.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A form of Japanese contemporary dance.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese 舞踏 (butō). The trailing “h” is to indicate the pronunciation; compare bokeh.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention舞踏ja

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "舞踏",
        "tr": "butō",
        "sc": "Jpan"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 舞踏 (butō)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "舞踏",
      "舞踏#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "bokeh",
      "bokeh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A form of Japanese contemporary dance."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "68109baf1dcc4c2c7ef34973b5a1e3eea0743c9baacbd05d2645ffb3f5ed6f20",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2c0ddec28ba0405ff0eea2c04cf16f092056b23a07798abe7bfa915fe9b1a778",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1743416
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Penis · Term of abuse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Malay butuh.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "ms:butuh",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Malay\", \"term\" : \"butuh\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ms\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"butoh\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"butoh\">\nBorrowed from Malay butuh."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "ms:butuh",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Malay butuh."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "butuh",
      "butuh#Malay"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Penis",
        "Term of abuse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Manglish",
        "Singlish",
        "colloquial",
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "recordId": "e1e042a34a78ea84e9a795df793284e22ccd4245bc5e4fd0e17b19945a37f199",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c720d7e2f48e894f2c4641bddd482fbc7f8358918c146077074960cfc77a62ee",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1743417
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for butoh →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YnV0b2g