Etymologically
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buddy

Etymology and origin of the English word buddy

History Permalink
Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
1850

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈbʌd.i/[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[2][3] It is perhaps an alteration of brother, which MWU explains as baby talk,[2][3][4] or a variant of British colloquial butty “companion” (1802),[2][3][5] itself perhaps from booty in “booty fellow”, a confederate who shares plunder (1520s).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A brother or companion, in American English: 1850.[6][2][3]

Semantic evolution

Butty, a workmate, was also a local dialect word in England and Wales from the 18th century, long associated with coal miners.[2] The short form bud is from 1851.[2][3] A working partner, especially in the buddy system, is from 1917.[6] The verb, usually buddy up, is from 1925 in Etymonline and 1931 in the OED.[2][6] Buddy-buddy is from 1952,[2] the buddy movie from 1978,[6] and a volunteer who supports a person with AIDS from 1984.[6]

Timeline

  • 1850 – a companion (US).[6]
  • 1851 – bud.[2]
  • 1917 – a working partner.[6]
  • 1925 – the verb.[2]
  • 1984 – a volunteer supporting a person with AIDS.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (informal, chiefly US) A close friend; a companion.
  2. A partner who works or acts with another, as in a buddy system.
  3. (informal) Used to address a man, sometimes in a hostile way.

Verb

  1. (often with up) To become friends.

Word family

  • bud
  • buddy-buddy
  • buddy system

Usage notes

Buddy, full of buds, is a different and rare word, from 1598.[6][5]

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Buddy.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/buddy. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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