Late Middle English. Origin uncertain. Perhaps from post-classical Latin bustianus or Anglo-Norman bustian, of uncertain origin, although corresponding forms appear in texts written in England in French, Latin, and English at a similar date, and the relationship between them is difficult to establish. Perhaps ultimately reflecting a variant or alteration of Old French butaine, butene cotton fabric from the Levant (1298; compare Middle French (Walloon) butane a common type of fabric) from Egyptian Arabic buṭāna lining of a dress or boot, colloquial variant of literary Arabic biṭāna. Perhaps compare (from Egyptian Arabic buṭāna) Italian bottana a type of cotton fabric, post-classical Latin butana.