'aboiteau' originates from French, specifically the word 'aboiteau', where 'a-' meant 'toward' and 'boiteau' referred to a 'dam or dike'.

'aboiteau' changed from the French word 'aboiteau' and eventually became the modern English word 'aboiteau'.

Initially, it meant 'a dam or dike for controlling water', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.