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How did butyric acid get its common name?

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Butyric acid derives its common name from the Latin word butyrum, meaning butter.1

This naming reflects the compound's natural occurrence; it is found as a glyceride in butter, making up approximately 3–4 percent of its composition. The characteristic, disagreeable odor associated with rancid butter is specifically caused by the hydrolysis of this butyric acid glyceride. The term itself entered scientific nomenclature via the French butyrique.21