but
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English but, buten, boute, bouten, from Old English būtan (“without, outside of, except, only”), equivalent to be- + out. Cognate with Scots but, bot (“outside, without, but”), Saterland Frisian buute (“without”), West Frisian bûten (“outside of, apart from, other than, except, but”), Dutch buiten (“outside”), Dutch Low Saxon buten (“outside”), German Low German buuten, buute (“outside”), obsolete German baußen (“outside”), Luxembourgish baussen. Compare bin, about.
Eclipsed non-native Middle English mes (“but”) borrowed from Old French mes, mais (> French mais (“but”)).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (stressed, UK) IPA(key): /bʌt/, [bɐt], enPR: bŭt
- (stressed, US) IPA(key): /bʌt/, enPR: bŭt
- (stressed, Scotland, Ireland) IPA(key): /bʊt/
- (stressed, Northern England) IPA(key): /bʊt/
- (Ireland) IPA(key): [bɞθ̠]
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - (unstressed) IPA(key): /bət/, enPR: bət
- Rhymes: -ʌt
- Homophone: butt
Preposition[edit]
but
- Apart from, except (for), excluding.
- Synonyms: barring, except for, save for; see also Thesaurus:except
- Everyone but Father left early.
- I like everything but that.
- Nobody answered the door when I knocked, so I had no choice but to leave.
- 2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1-0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
- Luiz struggled with the movement of Helguson in the box, as he collected a long ball and the Spaniard barged him over, leaving referee Chris Foy little option but to point to the spot.
- (obsolete outside Scotland) Outside of.
- Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there.
Adverb[edit]
but (not comparable)
- (chiefly literary or poetic) Merely, only, just, no more than
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:merely
- Christmas comes but once a year.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 2 Kings 7:4:
- If they kill us, we shall but die.
- 1791, Robert Burns, "Ae Fond Kiss":
- For to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.
- For to see her was to love her,
- 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
- Now the Wicked Witch of the West had but one eye, yet that was as powerful as a telescope, and could see everywhere.
- 1975, Monty Python, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Black Knight: "'Tis but a scratch." King Arthur: "A scratch? Your arm's off!"
- 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York Review Books, 2006, p.49:
- The stony outcrops are often covered but thinly with arable soil; winters are bitingly cold, and rainfall scanty and unpredictable.
- 1990, Claude de Bèze, 1688 revolution in Siam: the memoir of Father de Bèze, s.j, translated by E. W. Hutchinson, University Press, page 153:
- May the Protector of the Buddhist Faith grant me but seven more days grace of life to be quit of this disloyal couple, father and son.
- (Australia, Tyneside, conjunctive) Though, however.
- Synonyms: even so, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
- 1906, "Steele Rudd", Back At Our Selection, page 161:
- "Supposin' the chap ain't dead, but?" Regan persisted.
- I'll have to go home early but.
- Used as an intensifier.
- Nobody, but nobody, crosses me and gets away with it.
- 2013 Nora Roberts, Irish Thoroughbred p. 25 (Little, Brown) →ISBN
- "Jakers, but we worked." With a long breath she shut her eyes. "But it was too much for one woman and a half-grown girl […] "
Conjunction[edit]
but
- On the contrary, rather (as a regular adversative conjunction, introducing a word or clause in contrast or contradiction with the preceding negative clause or sentence).
- I am not rich but [I am] poor. Not John but Peter went there.
- However, although, nevertheless, on the other hand (introducing a clause contrary to prior belief or in contrast with the preceding clause or sentence).
- She is very old but still attractive.
- You told me I could do that, but she said that I could not.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar […], OCLC 928184292, book X:
- In reality, I apprehend every amorous widow on the stage would run the hazard of being condemned as a servile imitation of Dido, but that happily very few of our play-house critics understand enough of Latin to read Virgil.
- 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34:
- Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.
Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
- 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
- Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
- Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, "except one that", "except such that".
- I cannot but feel offended.
- 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii]:
- And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 15, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
- There is no reason but hath another contrary unto it, saith the wisest party of Philosophers.
- c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene iv]:
- And but my noble Moor is true of mind
[…] it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
- 1819, John Keats, “Lamia”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, OCLC 927360557, part II, page 43:
- A deadly silence step by step increased,
Until it seem'd a horrid presence there,
And not a man but felt the terror in his hair.
- (archaic) Without it also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant).
- It never rains but it pours.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book II, canto VI:
- No arboret with painted blossomes drest, / And smelling sweet, but there it might be found […]
- c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene ii]:
- For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so
- (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without.
- 1639, Thomas Fuller, “Unseasonable Discords betwixt King Baldwine and His Mother; Her Strength in Yeelding to Her Sonne”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], OCLC 913016526, book II, page 84:
- This man unable to manage his own happineſſe, grew ſo inſolent that he could not go, but either ſpurning his equals, or trampling on his inferiours.
- (obsolete) Only; solely; merely.
- 1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Cavvses that hitherto have Hindred it; republished as Will Taliaferro Hale, editor, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England (Yale Studies in English; LIV), New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1916, OCLC 260112239:
- Observe but how their own principles combat one another.
- 1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 731548838:
- a formidable man but to his friends
- (obsolete) Until.
- c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- 'Tshall not be long but I'll be here again.
- (obsolete, following a negated expression of improbability) That. [16th–19th c.]
- 1784, Joshua Reynolds, in John Ingamells, John Edgcumbe (eds.), The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale 2000, p. 131:
- It is not impossible but next year I may have the honour of waiting on your Lordship at St. Asaph, If I go to Ireland I certainly will go that way.
- 1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt 2008, p. 132:
- “I am convinced, if you were to press this matter earnestly upon her, she would consent.”
“It is not impossible but she might,” said Madame de Seidlits […] .
- “I am convinced, if you were to press this matter earnestly upon her, she would consent.”
- 1813, Journal of Natural Philosophy, July:
- It is not improbable but future observations will add Pliny's Well to the class of irregular reciprocators.
- 1784, Joshua Reynolds, in John Ingamells, John Edgcumbe (eds.), The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Yale 2000, p. 131:
Usage notes[edit]
- Beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction such as but is considered incorrect by classical grammarians who claim that a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence has nothing to connect. The use of the word in this way is very common, however; and it may be argued that the connection is with the preceding context. Nevertheless, it is best to avoid beginning a sentence with but in formal writing. Combining sentences or using however, nevertheless, still, or though (which are adverbs rather than conjunctions) is more appropriate for the formal style.
- But this tool has its uses.
- This tool has its uses, however.
- Nevertheless, this tool has its uses.
- Still, this tool has its uses.
- This tool still has its uses.
- This tool has its uses, though.
Synonyms[edit]
- abbur (Chester)
- (except): bar, unless, excepting, excluding, with the exception of, without
- (however): yet, although, ac
Translations[edit]
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Noun[edit]
but (plural buts)
- An instance or example of using the word "but".
- It has to be done – no ifs or buts.
- (Scotland) The outer room of a small two-room cottage.
- A limit; a boundary.
- The end; especially the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end; the butt.
Verb[edit]
but (third-person singular simple present buts, present participle butting, simple past and past participle butted)
- (archaic) Use the word "but".
- But me no buts.
Derived terms[edit]
References[edit]
- but at OneLook Dictionary Search
- “but” in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Anagrams[edit]
Danish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle Low German butt.
Adjective[edit]
but
Inflection[edit]
Inflection of but | |||
---|---|---|---|
Positive | Comparative | Superlative | |
Common singular | but | — | —2 |
Neuter singular | but | — | —2 |
Plural | butte | — | —2 |
Definite attributive1 | butte | — | — |
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively. |
Synonyms[edit]
Antonyms[edit]
French[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle French but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *buttaz (“end, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewd- (“to beat, push”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”); see butt. The semantic development from "mound" to "target" is likely from martial training practice. The final /t/ is from the old pausal and liaison pronunciation; its (partial) restoration as the basic form may have been reinforced by related butte. .
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
but m (plural buts)
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
From boire.
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
but
- third-person singular past historic of boire
Further reading[edit]
- “but”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Indonesian[edit]
Noun[edit]
but (first-person possessive butku, second-person possessive butmu, third-person possessive butnya)
- (computing) bootstrap (process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory)
References[edit]
- “but” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.
Maltese[edit]
Root |
---|
b-w-t |
3 terms |
Etymology[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
but m (plural bwiet, diminutive bwejjet or buta or bwejta)
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
but
- (Northern) Alternative form of bote (“boot”)
Polish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Old Czech bot, from Old French bot.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
but m inan (diminutive bucik or butek, augmentative bucior or bucisko)
Declension[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- but in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- but in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romani[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀩𑀳𑀼𑀢𑁆𑀢 (bahutta),[1] from Sanskrit बहुत्व (bahutva, “much, many, very”).[1][2] Cognate with Hindi बहुत (bahut).
Adjective[edit]
but (oblique bute)
- much[1][2][3][4]
- many[1][2][3]
- But rroma mekhle i India thaj gele p-e aver phuva.
- Many Roma left India and went towards other lands.
Descendants[edit]
- Kalo Finnish Romani: buut
Adverb[edit]
but
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Boretzky, Norbert; Igla, Birgit (1994), “but”, in Wörterbuch Romani-Deutsch-Englisch für den südosteuropäischen Raum : mit einer Grammatik der Dialektvarianten [Romani-German-English dictionary for the Southern European region] (in German), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, →ISBN, page 39b
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “bahutva”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press, page 519
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marcel Courthiade (2009), “but B-ćham: -e I”, in Melinda Rézműves, editor, Morri angluni rromane ćhibǎqi evroputni lavustik = Első rromani nyelvű európai szótáram : cigány, magyar, angol, francia, spanyol, német, ukrán, román, horvát, szlovák, görög [My First European-Romani Dictionary: Romani, Hungarian, English, French, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian, Slovak, Greek] (in Hungarian; English), Budapest: Fővárosi Onkormányzat Cigány Ház--Romano Kher, →ISBN, page 97a
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yūsuke Sumi (2018), “but”, in ニューエクスプレスプラス ロマ(ジプシー)語 [New Express Plus Romani (Gypsy)] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, published 2021, →ISBN, OCLC 1267332830, page 147
- ^ Marcel Courthiade (2009), “but II”, in Melinda Rézműves, editor, Morri angluni rromane ćhibǎqi evroputni lavustik = Első rromani nyelvű európai szótáram : cigány, magyar, angol, francia, spanyol, német, ukrán, román, horvát, szlovák, görög [My First European-Romani Dictionary: Romani, Hungarian, English, French, Spanish, German, Ukrainian, Romanian, Croatian, Slovak, Greek] (in Hungarian; English), Budapest: Fővárosi Onkormányzat Cigány Ház--Romano Kher, →ISBN, page 97a
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Ottoman Turkish بوت (but)
Noun[edit]
but n (plural buturi)
- thigh of an animal
Declension[edit]
Scots[edit]
Noun[edit]
but (plural buts)
Preposition[edit]
but
Serbo-Croatian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بوت (but)
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
bȕt m (Cyrillic spelling бу̏т)
Declension[edit]
References[edit]
- “but” in Hrvatski jezični portal
Turkish[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- bud (dialectal)
Etymology[edit]
From Ottoman Turkish بود (bud), بوت (but), from Proto-Turkic *būt. Compare Old Turkic [script needed] (būt).
Noun[edit]
but (definite accusative butu, plural butlar)
Synonyms[edit]
Volapük[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
but (nominative plural buts)
Declension[edit]
Westrobothnian[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old Norse bútr, likely in ablaut relation to Old Norse bauta, Old High German bōzan, Old English bēatan, English beat. Compare Jamtish búss, Norwegian butt, buss.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
but m (definite butn)
Derived terms[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
but
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ʌt
- Rhymes:English/ʌt/1 syllable
- English terms with homophones
- English lemmas
- English prepositions
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Scottish English
- English adverbs
- English uncomparable adverbs
- English literary terms
- English poetic terms
- Australian English
- Geordie English
- English conjunctions
- English terms with archaic senses
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English verbs
- English coordinating conjunctions
- English focus adverbs
- English three-letter words
- Danish terms derived from Middle Low German
- Danish lemmas
- Danish adjectives
- Danish terms with rare senses
- French terms derived from Middle French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms derived from Frankish
- French terms derived from Old Norse
- French terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- French terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with homophones
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French countable nouns
- fr:Sports
- French non-lemma forms
- French verb forms
- fr:Football (soccer)
- fr:Handball
- fr:Hockey
- Indonesian lemmas
- Indonesian nouns
- Indonesian uncountable nouns
- id:Computing
- Maltese terms belonging to the root b-w-t
- Maltese 1-syllable words
- Maltese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Maltese/uːt
- Rhymes:Maltese/uːt/1 syllable
- Maltese lemmas
- Maltese nouns
- Maltese masculine nouns
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Northern Middle English
- Polish terms borrowed from Old Czech
- Polish terms derived from Old Czech
- Polish terms derived from Old French
- Polish 1-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Polish/ut
- Rhymes:Polish/ut/1 syllable
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns
- pl:Footwear
- Romani terms inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit
- Romani terms derived from Sauraseni Prakrit
- Romani terms inherited from Sanskrit
- Romani terms derived from Sanskrit
- Romani lemmas
- Romani adjectives
- Romani 1-syllable words
- Romani terms with usage examples
- Romani adverbs
- Romanian terms borrowed from Ottoman Turkish
- Romanian terms derived from Ottoman Turkish
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian nouns
- Romanian countable nouns
- Romanian neuter nouns
- Scots lemmas
- Scots nouns
- Scots prepositions
- Serbo-Croatian terms borrowed from Ottoman Turkish
- Serbo-Croatian terms derived from Ottoman Turkish
- Serbo-Croatian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Serbo-Croatian lemmas
- Serbo-Croatian nouns
- Serbo-Croatian masculine nouns
- Turkish terms inherited from Ottoman Turkish
- Turkish terms derived from Ottoman Turkish
- Turkish terms inherited from Proto-Turkic
- Turkish terms derived from Proto-Turkic
- Turkish lemmas
- Turkish nouns
- Volapük terms with IPA pronunciation
- Volapük lemmas
- Volapük nouns
- vo:Footwear
- Westrobothnian terms inherited from Old Norse
- Westrobothnian terms derived from Old Norse
- Westrobothnian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Westrobothnian/ʉ́ːt
- Westrobothnian lemmas
- Westrobothnian nouns
- Westrobothnian masculine nouns
- Westrobothnian terms with usage examples
- Rhymes:Westrobothnian/ʉ̀ːt
- Westrobothnian verbs
- gmq-bot:Agriculture
- gmq-bot:Animals
- gmq-bot:Clouds
- gmq-bot:People