Where does “Butterfly” come from?
Butterfly (English) comes from Middle English boterflye, from Old English buterflēoge, from Old English butere, from Proto-West Germanic buterā, from Latin būtȳrum, from Ancient Greek βούτυρον, from Ancient Greek τυρός, from Proto-Hellenic tūrós — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
Butterfly (English): A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring
Definitions
- A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring
Ancestry of “Butterfly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | boterflye | butterfly; Something of little import or value; A... |
| 2 | Old English | buterflēoge | butterfly |
| 3 | Old English | butere | butter |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | buterā | butter |
| 5 | Latin | būtȳrum | butter |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βούτυρον | butter |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | τυρός | cheese |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | tūrós | cheese |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | tuh₂-ró-s | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |