Etymology Map
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Bottle

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means a container with a narrow neck for liquids

Where does the word "bottle" come from? It comes from Late Latin buttis, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
buttis
Late Latin · ancient
"cask"
a Late Latin word for a wine cask, the root of 'butt' and 'butler'
2
Stage 2 of 3
botele
Old French · medieval
"small leather flask"
a diminutive, a little cask
3
Stage 3 of 3
bottle
English · 1300s
"a container for liquid"
'bottle' for courage is 1950s British slang
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Read the full story

Bottle’s story begins in Late Latin: buttis meant “cask.” A Late Latin word for a wine cask, the root of 'butt' and 'butler'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as botele. A diminutive, a little cask. It reached English by 1300s as bottle. 'bottle' for courage is 1950s British slang. Today, bottle means a container with a narrow neck for liquids.