Where does “butterfly” come from?
Butterfly comes from Old English butorflēoge, whose ultimate origin and meaning are unknown.
butterfly (English): A flying insect of the order "Lepidoptera",...
Definitions
- A flying insect of the order "Lepidoptera",...
Ancestry of “butterfly”, step by step
butterfly traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English buterflie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | buterflie | Alternative form of boterflye |
| 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 |
via Middle English boterflye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | boterflye | butterfly; Something of little import or value; A... |
via Middle English butturflye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | butturflye | Alternative form of boterflye |