Potter, a maker of pots, and potter, to busy oneself idly, are separate words: the first is formed on pot, the second is a frequentative of an old verb pote, to poke.[1][2]
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈpɒtə/ (UK); /ˈpɑtɚ/ (US)[3]
potter1 pot maker
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- before 1100
- From
- Old English pottere
Etymology
It is late inherited from Old English pottere, formed from pott, pot, and -ere, -er,[1][4][5][2] reinforced in Middle English by Anglo-French poter, Old French potier and Anglo-Latin pottarius.[1][4]
Earliest recorded meaning
A maker of earthenware vessels: before 1100;[1][6] as a surname from the late 12th century.[4]
Semantic evolution
An older Old English word for a potter was crocwyrhta, crock-wright.[4] Potters also sometimes worked as bell-founders.[4] A maker of metal pots is a rare obsolete sense of 1443,[6] and in northern dialect a potter was a hawker of earthenware from about 1500.[6][7] Potter's field, a burial ground for paupers and strangers, refers to Matthew 27:7, in the Tyndale Bible (1526),[1][4] where it was a field from which clay was dug, bought with the money paid to Judas.[4][1]
Timeline
- before 1100 – pottere.[1]
- late 12th century – as a surname.[4]
- c. 1500 – a hawker of earthenware.[6]
- 1526 – potter's field.[1]
Modern meaning
Noun
- A person who makes pottery.
Word family
- pottery
- potter's field
- potter's wheel
potter2 dawdle
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 1530
Etymology
It is probably a frequentative of Middle English poten, to push, poke (about 1250),[1][4][5] from Old English potian, to thrust (see put),[1][4][2] with the frequentative suffix -er.[1][2]
Earliest recorded meaning
To poke again and again: about 1530, now dialectal.[1][4][2]
Semantic evolution
To meddle is from the 17th century,[2] and in dialect to perplex or bother from the 18th.[2] To occupy oneself in a trifling way, be busy doing little, is from 1740,[1][4] and to move about idly or aimlessly from the 19th century.[2] It has a variant putter.[1][8]
Timeline
- c. 1530 – to poke repeatedly.[1]
- 17th century – to meddle.[2]
- 1740 – to be busy in a trifling way.[1]
- 19th century – to move aimlessly.[2]
Modern meaning
Verb
- To busy oneself with small tasks in a relaxed way; to dawdle or putter.
Related words
Usage notes
A third potter, one who pots, as a tippler (1632) or a pot-hunter of game (1884), is formed on the verb pot.[6][5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Potter.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/potter. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
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