Etymology: The modern as well as the early forms, point to a Middle English long ō , and thus to connection with bōt , boot n.¹ advantage, and boot v.¹ to profit. But there is no accounting for such a formation < bōt , boot directly; and it is generally held that the English word is due to an adaptation of some word cognate with German beute , French butin (or the latter itself) influenced in form by association with bōt , boot . The Germanic words in question are Old Norse býti ‘exchange, barter’, connected with býta ‘to exchange’; also ‘to deal out, distribute’; Middle Dutch and Middle Low German büte (Middle German bûte , Middle High German biute , modern German beute , modern Dutch buit ), all with the sense ‘booty’. Butin , < French, was used side by side with boty , booty during the 16th cent., and it is curious that the first known instances of both occur in Caxton's Chesse, within a few lines of each other: see butin n. Caxton has also buty (see 1490 at sense 1a), and in 17th cent. we find an instance of bootyn for butin : but on the whole the contact of the two forms appears to be slight. The shorter form boot n.², and the related boot v.², booter n. (freebooter ), booting n.², are all later. (An early but dubiously genuine use appears under booty adj., which, if really used by Lydgate c1430, would carry the question farther back, but leave it still more obscure.)

Etymology: Alteration of boot n.¹ by folk-etymological association with booty n.¹ Compare bootyn n.

Etymology: Probably an altered form of botty n.; compare batty n.² Perhaps influenced (especially in sense 1) by booty n.¹

Etymology: See booty n.¹: but could this be originally < boot n.¹ in sense of ‘profit’?

Etymology: < booty n.¹