The Butler name derives from the old French; Bouteillier; the cup-bearer or the one in charge of the bottles. Bottle and the French equivalent both come from the medieval Latin butticula, a diminutive of buttis, a cask, which is also the origin of the word butt for a large wooden container for liquid (the beer cellar in medieval times would have contained wooden casks, not glass bottles). So the buttery, therefore, had originally nothing to do with butter but was the place of the butts. Only later was the word extended to mean somewhere that provisions in general were stored, perhaps because people did mistakenly make that association.
Through a complicated process that had to do with the loss of gentlemen servants and changes in social organization, the Butler slowly rose to be in charge not only of the buttery, but also of the ewery (where the napkins and basins for washing and shaving were kept) and the pantry (which did supply the bread, butter, cheese and other basic provisions), and later still he took over the cellerer's duties of looking after the wine, which indeed became one of his principal duties. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Butler reached his full flowering as head of the male domestic servants, in larger households sometimes having a whole suite of rooms dedicated to his various functions. In the twentieth century, social change meant he almost vanished as a breed. In our modern age the Butler has been reinvented as a kind of Swiss-Army- knife, all-purpose household manager, often the sole permanent servant, as much required to organize his master's travel arrangements and supervise redecorating the house as he is to serve the wine at formal dinners.
Butler is one of those words which has survived almost unchanged in the language for several hundred years, but whose meaning has progressively changed along with his duties. But as few of us encounter a real Butler these days, even fewer than in his heyday, our understanding of the word is stuck in a fantasy world of Wodehousian invention.
Butler
\But"ler\, n. [OE. boteler, French; bouteillier (from bouteille), a bottle-bearer, a cupbearer, fr. LL. buticularius, fr. buticula bottle. An officer in a king's or a nobleman's household, whose principal business it is to take charge of the liquors, plate, etc.; the head servant in a large house. N: a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table, receiving guests, directs the serving of meals and performs various personal services. Properly a servant in charge of the wine (Gen. 40:1-13; 41:9). The Hebrew word, _mashkeh_, thus translated is rendered also (plural) "cup-bearers" (1 Kings 10:5; 2 Chr. 9:4). Nehemiah (1:11) was cup-bearer to king Artaxerxes. It was a position of great responsibility and honor in Royal households. Butler : a surname (very common: 1 in 1098 families; popularity rank in the U.S. : #91).
The Correct Pronunciation
Click here for the correct English pronunciation (small audio file).
The Number of Butlers Worldwide
The International Guild of Professional Butlers ( www.butlersguild.com ) estimates that there are some 50.000 professional Butlers in the world today
BUTLER
The traditional butler is deemed as a manservant responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the household. Good modern-day butlers are multi-taskers and are now expected to fulfill a combination of the following roles; butler, valet, chef, chauffeur and traveling PA.
In the past few years we have also seen the emergence of the 'super butler' - generally highly educated, computer literate and multi-lingual who travels extensively with their employer managing and ensuring the security of multiple worldwide households and their respective staff as well as responsibility for the 'super rich accessories' such as private jets and yachts. Butler 's duties include:
Charge of all household staff including daily schedules, duties and ongoing training
Knowledge of social etiquette and formal service
Greeting and care of household guests
Organize household budgets, maintenance and household inventory
Care and cleaning of fine china, crystal and silver
Prepare formal table settings, serve drinks and wait on the table
Be knowledgeable about the purchase, storage and serving of wines and spirits and maintain the wine cellar
Assist in the organization of social events at home, travel arrangements and household / family security
Liaise with the employers corporate office staff as and when required
