Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BUT, conj. [Sax. bote, reparation, satisfaction, compensation; and adverbially, moreover, further, that is, something added to make good, to supply that which is wanted, from betan, to make better, or more, to amend, that is, to advance; D. boete; Sw. böte; Dan. baade; W. buz, advantage. So in Ger. aber, but, is the Eng. over. In some of these languages it denotes a fine or penance, that which makes satisfaction. In Danish, profit; baader, to gain or profit; W. buziaw; Goth. botyan, id.; G. busse, büssen. We use this word as a noun, in the phrase, He gives a guinea to boot, that is, to make good, to satisfy, or by way of addition; and as a verb, in the phrase, What boots it, what gain or profit is it. It is radically the same word as bet in better; and the radical sense is to advance.]

More; further; noting an addition to supply what is wanting to elucidate, or modify the sense of the preceding part of a sentence, or of a discourse, or to continue the discourse, or to exhibit a contrast. Now abide faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. – 1 Cor. xiii. When pride cometh, then cometh, shame; but with the lowly is wisdom. – Prov. xi. Our wants are many and grievous; but quite of another kind. The house of representatives were well agreed in passing the bill; but the senate dissented. This word is in fact a noun equivalent to addition or supply; but in grammatical construction, no inconvenience results from considering it to be a connective.