*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of butyl

PIE word *gʷṓws Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws Proto-Hellenic *gʷous Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs) Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *tuh₂rós Proto-Hellenic *tūrós Ancient G

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

Any of four isomeric univalent hydrocarbon radicals, C₄H₉, formally derived from butane by the loss of a hydrogen atom. · A synthetic rubber made by the polymerization of isobutylene.

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

PIE word *gʷṓws Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws Proto-Hellenic *gʷous Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs) Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *tuh₂rós Proto-Hellenic *tūrós Ancient Greek τῡρός (tūrós) Ancient Greek βούτῡρος (boútūros)der. English but- Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. Frenchder. English -yl English butyl From but- + -yl.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*tewh₂-ine-pro
  • Word-formation componentbut-en
  • Word-formation component-ylen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "dercat",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "langname",
      "args": {
        "1": "ine-pro"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European"
    },
    {
      "name": "word",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine",
        "3": "gʷṓws",
        "id": ""
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "PIE word",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gʷṓws"
      },
      "expansion": "PIE word\n *gʷṓws"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "but-",
        "4": "-yl",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *gʷṓws\nProto-Hellenic *gʷous\nAncient Greek βοῦς (boûs)\nProto-Indo-European *tewh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-rós\nProto-Indo-European *tuh₂rós\nProto-Hellenic *tūrós\nAncient Greek τῡρός (tūrós)\nAncient Greek βούτῡρος (boútūros)der.\nEnglish but-\nProto-Indo-European *swel-der.?\nAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der.\nFrenchder.\nEnglish -yl\nEnglish butyl\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"cow\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"cow\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"cattle\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*gʷṓws\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*gʷous\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"βοῦς\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" }, { \"gloss\" : \"cheese\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"cheese\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*tuh₂rós\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"swell\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*tewh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-rós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*tūrós\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"τῡρός\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"βούτῡρος\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"but-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*swel-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ῡ̔́λη\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-yl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"butyl\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"butyl\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*tewh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "affix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "but-",
        "3": "-yl"
      },
      "expansion": "but- + -yl"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "but-",
        "4": "-yl",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *gʷṓws\nProto-Hellenic *gʷous\nAncient Greek βοῦς (boûs)\nProto-Indo-European *tewh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-rós\nProto-Indo-European *tuh₂rós\nProto-Hellenic *tūrós\nAncient Greek τῡρός (tūrós)\nAncient Greek βούτῡρος (boútūros)der.\nEnglish but-\nProto-Indo-European *swel-der.?\nAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der.\nFrenchder.\nEnglish -yl\nEnglish butyl"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*gʷṓws",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷṓws"
    ],
    [
      "*gʷṓws",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷṓws#Proto-Indo-European:_cattle"
    ],
    [
      "*gʷous",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/gʷous#Proto-Hellenic:_cow"
    ],
    [
      "βοῦς",
      "βοῦς#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*tewh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/tewh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_swell"
    ],
    [
      "*-rós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-rós"
    ],
    [
      "*tūrós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/tūrós#Proto-Hellenic:_cheese"
    ],
    [
      "τῡρός",
      "τυρός#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "βούτῡρος",
      "βούτυρος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "but-",
      "but-#English"
    ],
    [
      "*swel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/swel-"
    ],
    [
      "ῡ̔́λη",
      "ὕλη#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "-yl",
      "-yl#English"
    ],
    [
      "but-",
      "but-#English"
    ],
    [
      "-yl",
      "-yl#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any of four isomeric univalent hydrocarbon radicals, C₄H₉, formally derived from butane by the loss of a hydrogen atom.",
        "A synthetic rubber made by the polymerization of isobutylene."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "2aa7ec8518f9d40b699557d853beb14403ee5bd7b6970dec704443d7750839ff",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1268a6edaf91b5b5160d6f9955d347c0f5a2d0562b3d8927aafaf94e652c60d0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 228428
    }
  ],
  "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 butyl →

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-YnV0eWw