Butterfly - Wiktionary

English

[edit] WOTD – 23 January 2006, 22 February 2006

Etymology

[edit] A butterfly.A brimstone butterfly. The word butterfly may have its origins in the name of yellow (or cream-coloured) butterflies such as this.

From Middle English buterflie, butturflye, boterflye, from Old English buterflēoge, equivalent to butter +‎ fly. Cognate with Dutch botervlieg, German Butterfliege (“butterfly”). The name may have originally been applied to butterflies of a yellowish color, or reflected a belief that butterflies ate milk and butter (compare German Molkendieb (“butterfly”, literally “whey-thief”) and Low German Botterlicker (“butterfly”, literally “butter-licker”)), or that they excreted a butter-like substance (compare Dutch boterschijte (“butterfly”, literally “butter-excretor”)). Compare also German Schmetterling from Schmetten (“cream”), German Low German Bottervögel (“butterfly”, literally “butter-fowl”). More at butter, fly.

An alternate theory suggests that the first element may have originally been Old English butor- (“beater”), a mutation of bēatan (“to beat”),[1] but this would not explain the cognates in other languages or the other names formed with milk products.

Superseded non-native Middle English papilion (“butterfly”) borrowed from Old French papillon (“butterfly”).

Pronunciation

[edit]

• IPA(key): /ˈbʌ.tə(ɹ).flaɪ/
  • (US, Canada) IPA(key): [ˈbʌ.ɾɚ.flaɪ]

  • Audio (Canada):

    (file)

  • (UK) IPA(key): [ˈbʌ.tə.flaɪ]

  • Audio (Received Pronunciation):

    (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

[edit]

butterfly (plural butterflies)

1. A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring. [from 11th c.]
   • a. 1931 (date written), D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “[Personalia and Fragments.] [Autobiographical Fragment].”, in Edward D[avid] McDonald, editor, Phoenix: The Posthumous Papers of D. H. Lawrence, London: William Heinemann, published 1936, →OCLC, page 836:It is true. I am like a butterfly, and I shall only live a little while.
2. (medicine, attributive) A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed. butterfly tape; butterfly bandage; butterfly strips
3. (swimming) The butterfly stroke. [from 20th c.]
4. Any of several plane curves that look like a butterfly; see Butterfly curve (transcendental) and Butterfly curve (algebraic).
5. (in the plural) Ellipsis of butterflies in one’s stomach (“A sensation of excited anxiety felt in the stomach”). I get terrible butterflies before an exam.
6. (now rare) Someone seen as being unserious and (originally) dressed gaudily; someone flighty and unreliable. [from 17th c.]
   • 1859, George Meredith, chapter 15, in The Ordeal of Richard Feverel. A History of Father and Son. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC:He was affable; therefore he was frivolous. The women liked him; therefore he was a butterfly.
   • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:The day came indeed when her breathless auditors learnt from her in bewilderment that what ailed him was that he was, alas, simply not serious. Maisie wept on Mrs. Wix's bosom after hearing that Sir Claude was a butterfly […].
7. (finance) A combination of four options of the same type at three strike prices giving limited profit and limited risk.
8. (alternate history) A random change in an aspect of the timeline seemingly unrelated to the primary point of divergence, resulting from the butterfly effect. One potential butterfly could be JFK having another son the year after the POD instead of a daughter.
9. (sports) A type of stretch in which one sits on the ground with the legs folded into a shape like that of a butterfly's wings, slightly rocking them up and down, resembling the wings fluttering.
10. A person who changes partners frequently.
    • 2022 December 9, Darren C, “Paying For Bar Girls, Sex in Pattaya”, in Pattaya Unlimited‎[2]:What does it mean to be a butterfly in Pattaya? It means, just like a butterfly briefly visits many flowers, you will briefly visit many different girls.
11. (mining) A safety link or detaching hook above the cage attached to the winding rope to prevent the cage from being overwound.
12. (Philippines, Philippine politics, often derogatory) party switcher; turncoat. Synonyms: balimbing; see also Thesaurus:defector

Hypernyms

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• (flying insect): lep, lepidopteran
• (flying insect): pollinator

Derived terms

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• alfalfa butterfly
• alpine butterfly bend
• alpine butterfly knot
• apefly
• break a butterfly on a wheel
• break a butterfly on the wheel
• break a butterfly upon a wheel
• break a butterfly upon the wheel
• brush-footed butterfly
• butterflier
• butterflies in one's stomach
• butterfly adder
• butterfly agave (Agave potatorum)
• butterfly app
• butterfly ballot
• butterfly banners
• butterfly bat (Glauconycteris variegata)
• butterfly bend
• butterfly blenny
• butterfly bomb
• butterfly bush (see buddleia or buddleja)
• butterfly cake
• butterfly chair
• butterfly child
• butterfly clam (Ellipsaria lineolata)
• butterfly clip
• butterfly cod (Pterois spp.)
• butterfly collector (see lepidopterist or lepidopterology)
• butterfly connector
• butterfly crab (Cryptolithodes typicus)
• butterfly dam
• butterfly damper
• butterfly door
• butterfly effect
• butterflyfish
• butterfly fish
• butterfly flower (see schizanthus)
• butterfly ginger
• butterfly grip
• butterfly hinge
• butterfly keyboard
• butterfly kick
• butterfly kiss
• butterfly knife
• butterfly knot
• butterfly-knotted
• butterflylike
• butterfly lily (Hedychium coronarium)
• butterfly loop
• butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• butterfly mine
• butterfly mussel
• butterfly needle
• butterfly net
• butterfly nut (wing nut)
• butterfly orchid
• butterfly pea
• butterfly plant (Carallia brachiata)
• butterfly position
• butterfly ray (Gymnuridae)
• butterfly roof
• butterfly screw
• butterfly shell (Mucrospirifer spp., Chiton spp.)
• butterfly skin
• butterfly sleeve
• butterfly stitch
• butterfly stroke (swimming)
• butterfly syringe
• butterfly table
• butterfly tulip (Calochortus vestae)
• butterfly upon a wheel
• butterfly valve
• butterfly watching
• butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• butterfly window
• cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae)
• California dogface butterfly
• comma butterfly
• emperor butterfly
• float like a butterfly
• gossamer-winged butterfly
• harvester butterfly
• iron butterfly
• lime butterfly (Papilio demoleus)
• map butterfly
• milkweed butterfly
• monarch butterfly
• moth butterfly
• nettle tree butterfly
• owl butterfly
• paper kite butterfly
• peacock butterfly
• sea butterfly
• semicolon butterfly
• snout butterfly
• social butterfly
• spinal butterfly ray
• sulfur butterfly, sulphur butterfly
• thistle butterfly
• Troilus butterfly
• zebra butterfly

Descendants

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• → Russian: баттерфля́й (batterfljáj)

Translations

[edit] insect

Abaza: лымхӏарыгӏв (ləmḥarəʻʷ) Abkhaz: аԥарԥалыкь (aparpaləkʲʼ), ахьчҧаҧыр (axʲčpapər) Acatepec Me'phaa: pi̱jpí Acehnese: bambang, bangbang Adja: pkolinouhoin Adnyamathanha: vurruka Adyghe: хьэтӏрэпӏый (ḥɛtʼrɛpʼəj) (Shapsug), хьампӏырашъу (ḥampʼərašʷu) (Temirgoy), хьэнтӏэрэпӏый (ḥɛntʼɛrɛpʼəj) (Abzakh) Afrikaans: skoenlapper Ahom: 𑜉𑜢𑜂𑜫 𑜈𑜣 (miṅ bī) Ainu: ヘポラㇷ゚ (heporap), マレゥレゥ (marewrew) Akan: Twi: afafantɔ Alabama: hakchoopàalpa Albanian: flutur (sq) f Amharic: ቢራቢሮ (birabiro) Amis: adipangpang, 'adipangpang Angami: zopruo Antillean Creole: papiyòt Apache: Western Apache: doolé Arabic: فَرَاشَة (ar) f (farāša) Algerian Arabic: بوفرفطو, بابيو Egyptian Arabic: ابو دقيق m (ʔabu diʔīʔ), فراش m (farāš) Gulf Arabic: طرفشانة m (ṭerfešāna) Hijazi Arabic: فراشة f (farāša) Moroccan Arabic: فراشة f (farāša), فرططو m (farṭuṭṭu) North Levantine Arabic: فَراشة (farāše) Tunisian Arabic: فرططو (farṭaṭṭu) Aragonese: paxarela f, volandrina f, palometa f, pamparola f, bombolón m Araki: p̈ep̈e Aramaic: Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܦܵܪܚܘܿܢܝܼܬ݂ܵܐ f (pārḥōnīṯā) Arapaho: nihˀoːteibeihiː Armenian: թիթեռ (hy) (tʻitʻeṙ), մաշկաթիթեղ (maškatʻitʻeġ) (dialectal) Old Armenian: թիթեռն (tʻitʻeṙn) Aromanian: flituru m Assamese: পখিলা (pokhila) Asturian: mariposa (ast) f, pumarina (ast) f, caparina (ast) f Ateso: eporiporit Atikamekw: kwakwapicic Avar: кӏалкӏучӏ (kʼalkʼučʼ) Aymara: pilpintu (ay) Azerbaijani: kəpənək (az), pərvanə (az) Balinese: kupu-kupu Bambara: dimago, npɛrɛnpɛrɛ, nfirinfirin, afúntúnkpεkpε Bandjalang: banjalahm Baniwa: makaru Barngarla: bilyilya Bashkir: күбәләк (kübələk) Basque: tximeleta (eu), pinpilinpauxa (eu), inguma (eu), marisorgin, pinpirin (eu), jainkoilo (eu), txipirrita Bats: პეპელ (ṗeṗel) Bau Bidayuh: karimunuo Bavarian: Waifåita Belarusian: матылёк (be) m (matyljók), маты́ль m (matýlʹ) Bengali: প্রজাপতি (bn) (projapoti) Bikol Central: kulagbaw (bcl), kalibangbang (bcl) Binukid: kalibangbang Bislama: nambembe Bouyei: mbucmbax Breton: balafenn (br) f Brooke's Point Palawano: babang Brunei Malay: kulimambang Bulgarian: пеперу́да (bg) f (peperúda) Burmese: လိပ်ပြာ (my) (lippra) Buryat: эрбээхэй (erbeexej) Caddo: banús Carrier: tsangwelht'ah Catalan: papallona (ca) f, (dialectal, dated) papalló (ca) m, (dialectal) papaió m, (dialectal) babaiana f, (dialectal) paloma (ca) f, (dialectal) palometa (ca) f Cebuano: alibangbang, kabakaba Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵉⴱⵍⵉⵍⵍⵉ (iblilli) Central Dusun: kolibambang Central Mazahua: xefi Central Sierra Miwok: hól·ok·iṭiwa- Ch'orti': pehpem, pehpim Chamicuro: kamajto Chamorro: ababang Chechen: полла (polla) Cheke Holo: naʼalo Cherokee: ᎧᎹᎹ (kamama) Cheyenne: hevávȧhkema Chichicapan Zapotec: bidxiidxi Chinese: Cantonese: 蝴蝶 (wu4 dip6-2) Dungan: хўте (hwti͡ə) Eastern Min: 蝴蝶 (hù-diĕk) Gan: 蝴蝶 (fu4 tiet) Hakka: 揚蝶仔 / 扬蝶仔 (yòng-ya̍k-é, yòng-ya̍p-é) Hokkien: 蝶仔 (zh-min-nan) (ia̍h-á), 蝴蝶 (zh-min-nan) (ô͘-tia̍p), 尾蝶 (zh-min-nan) (bóe-ia̍h, bé-ia̍h), 尾蝶仔 (bóe-ia̍h-á, bé-ia̍h-á), 蝶婆 (ia̍h-pô) Jin: 蝴蝶 (hu1 dieh5) Mandarin: 蝴蝶 (zh) (húdié) Wu: 蝴蝶 Xiang: 蝴蝶 (fu2 tie6) Chipewyan: yágoli Choctaw: hatapushik Chol: pejpem Chukchi: ӄопаԓготкочьын (qopalgotkoč'yn) Chuukese: nipwisipwis Chuvash: лӗпӗш (lĕp̬ĕš) Coastal Kadazan: kohibambang Coatecas Altas Zapotec: mitet Cornish: tykki Duw m Creek: tvffolupv Crimean Tatar: köbelek Cupeño: malvel Czech: motýl (cs) m Dakota: kimimina Danish: sommerfugl (da) c, sommerflue (North Jutland), skurvefugl (South Jutland), dagsommerfugl (da) Dargwa: къабулдан (ɢabuldan) Darkinjung: burrudir Dharug: burudyara Dhivehi: ކޮކާ (kokā) Dhuwal: buurnba Dieri: karlipilhi Dolgan: лөрүө (lörüö) Dupaningan Agta: lelle, lollo Dutch: (neutral) vlinder (nl) m; (dated) kapel (nl) f, pepel (nl) m, vijfwouter (nl) m; (archaic) boterschijte f, botervlieg (nl) f, pennenvogel (nl) m, schoenlapper (nl) m, zomervogel (nl) m; (poetic) fladderaar (nl) m, dagvlinder (nl) Eastern Bontoc: fob-ollo Elfdalian: fyörolder m Emilian: parpàja f Erzya: нимиляв (nimiľav) Esperanto: papilio (eo) Estonian: liblikas (et) Evenki: лэрэдэ (lərədə), авава (awawa) Ewe: dyekpakpa Faroese: firvaldur m, summarfuglur m, fiðrildi n Fijian: bebe (fj) Finnish: perhonen (fi) Fon: afúntúnkpεkpε, awɛwɛ French: papillon (fr) m Friulian: pavee f Fula: pucharlar (Guinée Conakry), bidilallah (Mauritania), bedelallah, palapala (Sierra Leone), lilldeh Gagauz: kelebek Galician: bolboreta (gl) f, volvoreta f, barboleta f, avelaíña f, andola f, volalla f Gamilaraay: balabalaa Gen: abèbe, abè, abey Georgian: პეპელა (ka) (ṗeṗela) German: Schmetterling (de) m, (poetic) Falter (de) m, Tagfalter (de) m Alemannic German: Summervogel m, Fifalter m Pennsylvania German: Fleddermaus f Gong: ลาบู้ Gooniyandi: malimali Greek: πεταλούδα (el) f (petaloúda), ψυχή (el) f (psychí) Ancient Greek: σητόδοκις f (sētódokis), ψυχή f (psukhḗ) Italiot Greek: ajarài n Greenlandic: pakkaluaq, utsuppaluaq Guerrero Amuzgo: kítzë Gujarati: પતંગિયું n (pataṅgiyũ), ફૂદું n (phūdũ) Gutnish: fjädavall m, fjädurhalldi m, fjädaralld m Hadiyya: birabira Haitian Creole: papiyon Haiǁom: abuxare Hausa: balebale, bude littafi, malam bu'de littafi Hawaiian: pulelehua Hebrew: פַּרְפַּר (he) m (parpár) Heiltsuk: hḷúlu Hidatsa: abóoga Higaonon: alibangbang Hiligaynon: alibangbang Hindi: तितली (hi) f (titlī) Hopi: masivie, poliwe Huichol: kɨpí Hungarian: pillangó (hu), lepke (hu) Hupa: kidiwisčeˀ Icelandic: fiðrildi (is) n Idi: kwendere Ido: papiliono (io) Igbo: olookolombooka Ila: inkongolo, sikapempenya Ilocano: kulibangbang Indonesian: kupu-kupu (id), rama-rama Ineseño: ˀayatulutul Ingrian: unilintu Ingush: кӏормац (kʼormac) Interlingua: papilion Inuktitut: ᑕᕐᕋᓕᑭᑖᖅ (tarralikitaaq) Inupiaq: taqalukisaq Irish: féileacán (ga) m Isoko: ẹvbovbo, ẹzi Italian: farfalla (it) f Itelmen: вэвэчӽ (vevečχ) Ivatan: kodibabang Jakaltek: nam Japanese: 胡蝶 (ja) (kochō), 蝶々 (ja) (chōchō), 蝶 (ja) (chō), チョウ (ja) (chō), 蝶 (ja) (kawahirako) Jarawa: peʈpel Javanese: kupu (jv) Jeju: 나비 (nabi) Kabardian: хьэндырабгъуэ (kbd) (ḥɛndərabğʷɛ) Kabuverdianu: gorgoleta Kabyle: aferṭeṭṭu m Kalagan: karibangbang Kalmyk: эрвәкә (erväkä) Kamba: kimbalut'ya Kanakanabu: ta'anna Kankanaey: palikwawa, bibil-o Kannada: ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ (kn) (ciṭṭe), ಹಾತೆ (kn) (hāte) Kapampangan: talúbang Karachay-Balkar: дибилдирик (dibildirik), гёбелекке (göbelekke) Karaim: kebalak Karakalpak: gu‘belek Karelian: liipukkaini Karok: xatimniim Kashmiri: پَنہٕ پونٛپُر (panhụ pōnpur) Kashubian: mòtil m Kaurna: pilyapilya Kazakh: елбелек (elbelek), көбелек (köbelek) Khakas: ӧрбекей (örbekey), хубаған (xubağan) Khmer: មេអំបៅ (km) (mei ʼɑmbaw) Khowar: پلمنڈوک (pulmunḍúk) Kikuyu: kĩĩhuruta class 7 Kimaragang: kolibambang Klallam: ƛ̕aʔƛ̕ápt Koasati: hacokpalpa Komi-Permyak: бобув (bobuv) Kongo: lumbembambemba Konkani: [script needed] (pakho) Konni: kpanjabi Korean: 나비 (ko) (nabi), 호접(胡蝶) (hojeop) Krobu: kutuu Kumyk: гюмелек (gümelek), гёбелек (göbelek) Kunigami: タベールー (tabērū) Kurdish: Central Kurdish: پەپوولە (ckb) (pepûle) Northern Kurdish: pelatînk (ku) f, sepirek, pirpirok (ku) Kwanyama: onanga Kwara'ae: bébe Kyrgyz: көпөлөк (ky) (köpölök) Lachixío Zapotec: biti Ladin: pavël m Lak: чӏимучӏали (čʼimučʼali), цӏицӏимкӏала (cʼicʼimkʼala) Lakota: kimímela, kimímila Lamba: ici-pempele Lao: ແມງກະເບື້ອ (lo) (mǣng ka bư̄a) Latgalian: tauriņs m, lipiņs m Latin: pāpiliō (la) m Latvian: taurenis Lenje: limpempele Lezgi: чепелукь (čepeluq̇) Limburgish: zómmersvleeg f Limos Kalinga: kullapoy Lingala: kipouzala class 9a/10a, mpornboli class 9/10 Lithuanian: drugys (lt) m, drugelis m, peteliškė f Livonian: libālabā, liblabbiņ, liepālinki, liepālind Lombard: parpaj (lmo) m, parpaja f Low German: Dutch Low Saxon: pennevoegel (Achterhoeks, Drents, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Urkers, Veluws), vlinder (Achterhoeks, Drents, Gronings, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws); bottervliege (Gronings, Sallands), bottervoegel (Gronings, Sallands, Twents), kepelle (Twents, Veluws), zoemervoegel (Achterhoeks, Twents) German Low German: Bottervagel m, Sommervagel m; Botterlicker m, Fleerling m; Sommerlott m; Pennvogel m, Bottervögel m Luba-Kasai: bulubulu Lubuagan Kalinga: kullapoy Luganda: ekiwojjolo class 7/8 Luhya: likuyukuyu Luo: oguyo Lushootseed: yuʔyuʔbəč Lutuv: cuobalilipa Luxembourgish: Päiperlek (lb) m, Pimpampel m Maasai: ɔsámpúrimpúri Macanese: copo-copo Macedonian: пеперутка f (peperutka), пеперуга f (peperuga) Majang: bimbilo Malagasy: lolo (mg) Malay: kupu-kupu, rama-rama, kulimambang (ms) (Brunei) Malayalam: ചിത്രശലഭം (ml) (citraśalabhaṁ), പൂമ്പാറ്റ (ml) (pūmpāṟṟa) Maltese: farfett m Mam: paki'l Manchu: ᡤᡝᡶᡝᡥᡝ (gefehe) Mandingo: vrievran Mandinka: firifiroo Manobo: kelivangbang Mansaka: karibangbang Mansi: Northern Mansi: (please verify) ла̄панты (lāpanty) Manx: foillycan m, follican m, folican m Maori: pepe (for any lepidopterans in general including moths), pēpepe, pepeke, pūrerehua, wairua atua Mapudungun: jampvzkeñ Maranao: paroparo Marathi: फुलपाखरू n (phulpākhrū) Mari: Eastern Mari: лыве (lyve) Western Mari: лӹпӹ (lÿpÿ) Masbatenyo: kulibangbang Matbat: bimbompu Mauritian Creole: papiyon Maykulan: pardirr Mazanderani: پاپلی (pāpıli) Mekeo: fefe, fefe-fefe, pepeo (West Mekeo) Mende: buwa Mi'kmaq: mimiges anim Middle Dutch: vīveltre Middle English: buterflie Middle High German: vīvalter Mingo: utsiˀtsnôwê Mingrelian: ფარფალი (parpali) Mirandese: paixarina f Miyako: チョーチョー (chōchō) Mohawk: tsiktsinēnsawen Moksha: мелав (melav) Mongolian: Cyrillic: эрвээхэй (mn) (erveexej) Mongolian: ᠡᠷᠪᠡᠬᠡᠢ (erbekei) Montagnais: kuakuapishish Montana Salish: kʷelùlegu Moore: pilimpiko, abaga Mopan Maya: pempem Motu: kau-bebe Mudburra: marlimarlirni Muong: bươm bưởm Murrinh-Patha: manman Nafaanra: kaambɛɛlɛ Nahuatl: Central: papalotl Central Huasteca: papalotl Classical: papalotl Coatepec: papalu Cosoleacaque: me̱me Guerrero: papalotl Morelos: papalotl Tetelcingo: pöpölutl Western Huasteca: papalotl Zacatlán-Ahuacatlán-Tepetzintla: papalotl Nanai: кокони (kokoni), чакини (čakini) Nanticoke: aumawncohunt Narungga: billalya Nauruan: iyewaeoe Navajo: kʼaalógii Neapolitan: palomma f Nepali: पुतली (putali) Ngaju: kakupo Ngarrindjeri: lompalampi, ngartari Ngiyambaa: pilyu-pilyuka Nogai: куьпелек (küpelek) Norman: papillote f (Jersey) Northern Altai: кӧбӧлек (köbölek) Northern Catanduanes Bicolano: karibangbang Northern Ndebele: ivevane class 5/6 Northern Paiute: tsoapu Northern Pomo: ʔuytʰoktok Northern Sotho: serurubele Norwegian: Bokmål: sommerfugl (no) m, fivreld m or n, fryvil m Nynorsk: sommarfugl m, sumarfugl m, fivreld (nn) n, fivrelde (nn) n, marihøne f (some dialects) Nyunga: bataplai, bindi bindi, ban-ban Nzadi: ipááfǔl Nǀuu: purukutsi O'odham: hohokimal Occitan: parpalhòl (oc) m, parpalhòc m, parpalhon (oc) m Odia: ପ୍ରଜାପତି (or) (prajāpati) Ojibwe: memengwaa Okinawan: はべる (haberu) Old English: fīfalde f Old High German: fīfaltra, fīfaltara Old Norse: fīfrildi Old Saxon: fīfoldara Old Tupi: panama, panapanã, panapanama Oromo: biillaacha Ossetian: гӕлӕбу (gælæbu) Otomi: Mezquital: tu̱mu̱ Ottoman Turkish: كلبك (kelebek) Paiwan: kalidrungudrungulj Palantla Chinantec: chi²tsǿ² Palauan: bangikoi Pannonian Rusyn: мотиль m (motilʹ) Papiamentu: barbulètè, barbulèt Paraguayan Guarani: (please verify) panambi Pashto: شاپرک m (šāparak), پروانه (ps) f (parwāna), پتنګ m (patang) Pawnee: awiitakaaruʼ Persian: Dari: شَوْپَرَک (šawparak), پَرْوَانَه (parwāna) Iranian Persian: پَرْوانِه (parvâne), پِرْپِروک (perperuk) (dialectal) Phuthi: sirûrûbëlë class 7/8 Pipil: papalut Pirahã: sibíoí Pitjantjatjara: pinta-pinta Plains Cree: ᑲᒫᒪᐠ, kamâmak Plautdietsch: Sommavoagel n Pohnpeian: lipahreureu, lipahrourou Polish: motyl (pl) m Portuguese: borboleta (pt) f, panapaná (pt) m (Brazil) Punjabi: ਤਿਤਲੀ f (titlī) Purepecha: parakata Quechua: pillpintu Romani: lepetka Romanian: fluture (ro) m Romansch: spler m, tgiralla f, tschitta f Russian: ба́бочка (ru) f (bábočka), мотылёк (ru) m (motyljók), моты́ль (ru) m (motýlʹ) Rwanda-Rundi: Kinyarwanda: ikinyugunyugu class 7/8 S'gaw Karen: စီးကပ့ၤ (saẅ ka paȳ), စီၤကပ့ၤ (saw̄ ka paȳ) Saanich: sk̕ʷəw̕lex̣əʔ Sami: Kildin Sami: а̄льп (āl’p) Northern Sami: beaiveloddi Samoan: pepe Sanskrit: पतंगम (sa) (pataṃgama), शलभ (sa) m (śalabha) Santali: ᱯᱤᱯᱲᱤᱚᱝ (pipṛiôṅ) Saramaccan: adömítö, azöbítötö Sardinian: mariavolavola m, cabagasu m, maniposa f Saterland Frisian: Flitterke f Scanian: sømmarfuğl m Scots: butterflee Scottish Gaelic: dealan-dè (gd) m, dearbadan-dè (gd) m, teillean-dè (gd) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: ле̏птӣр m Roman: lȅptīr (sh) m Seri: seenel Seychellois Creole: papiyon Sherpa: བ་ལིབ (ba lib) Shipibo-Conibo: pempén Shona: shavishavi Shoshone: a'yapodoongi, a'ipputoonkih (Western Shoshoni) Sicilian: parpagghiuni (scn) m Sidamo: bilach'a Silesian: szmaterlŏk m Sindhi: پوپٽ (sd) m (popaṭu) Sinhalese: සමනළ (samanaḷa), සමනලයා (si) (samanalayā) Slovak: motýľ (sk) m Slovene: metulj (sl) m Somali: balanbaalis f, babbisjinni m Sorbian: Lower Sorbian: mjatel m Upper Sorbian: mjetel m Sotho: sororomele, serurubele (st) Southern Altai: кӧбӧлӧк (köbölök) Southern Amami Ōshima: ハブぃラ (habïra) Southern Kalinga: ullapoy Southern Sierra Miwok: kiṭīlah Spanish: mariposa (es) f Sranan Tongo: kapelka Sumerian: 𒄵 (giriš) Sundanese: kukupu Susu: chuani Svan: პერპელ (ṗerṗel) Swahili: kipepeo (sw) class 7/8 Swazi: luvivane class 11/10 Swedish: fjäril (sv) c, dagfjäril (sv) c Sylheti: ꠌꠇꠞ (soxor) Tabasaran: ппазиппенд (p̄azip̄end) Tagalog: paruparo, mariposa Tagish: lelā Tahitian: pepe (daytime), pūrehua (night) Taíno: tanama Taita: kifurute Tajik: шапалак (tg) (šapalak), шабпара (šabpara) Tamil: வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சி (ta) (vaṇṇattuppūcci), பட்டாம்பூச்சி (ta) (paṭṭāmpūcci), பாப்பாத்தி (ta) (pāppātti) Tarifit: afarṭu m, taḥjijat f Tat: пелпелек (pelpelek) Tatar: күбәләк (tt) (kübäläk) Tausug: kabakaba Tày: bỉ Tboli: kbangi Telugu: సీతాకోక చిలుక (sītākōka ciluka) Tenango Otomi: tømø Tetum: kopukopu, kukulai Tewa: púwáníní Thai: ผีเสื้อ (th) (pǐi-sʉ̂ʉa) Tibetan: ཕྱེ་མ་ལེབ (phye ma leb), ཕྱེ་ལེབ (phye leb), ཅེམ་ཅེམ་མ (cem cem ma) Tigre: tsenblale Tigrinya: ጽምብላሊዕ (ti) (ṣəmbəlaliʿ) Tiruray: kélibangbang Tiwi: kwarikwaringa f Tlingit: tleilóo, ḵaa daa l'eix̱í Tofa: һебеген (hebegen) Tok Pisin: bataplai, bembe Tongan: pepe Tooro: ekihoiholya class 7 Tsonga: phapharati Tswana: serurubele class 7 Tujia: Northern Tujia: taxsix Tundra Nenets: ламбрё (lambrjo) Tupinambá: panama Turkish: kelebek (tr) Turkmen: kebelek Tuvan: ховаган (xovagan) Tzotzil: pepen Udi: pepalak, phephalak Udihe: гэптэ (gəptə) Udmurt: бубыли (bubyľi) Ukrainian: мете́лик (uk) m (metélyk), моти́ль m (motýlʹ) (dialectal) Unami: memekas Urdu: تِتْلی f (titlī) Urhobo: erhi Urubú-Kaapor: iyenye, yenjè Urum: гомалака, гӧбелек, гӧмелек, гӱбелек, кӱбелек Usila Chinantec: a¹seg⁴ Uyghur: كېپىنەك (këpinek) Uzbek: kapalak (uz) Veps: lipkaine Vietnamese: bươm bướm (vi), bướm (vi) Vilamovian: mulkiadrymuł m Virgin Islands Creole: zanimo Volapük: pab (vo) Võro: tsibiläne, liblik Vurës: rōm Walloon: påwion (wa) m Waray-Waray: alibangbang, rapudapo Warlpiri: cinci-maɭu-maɭu Wastek: lemtutu Welsh: pilipala m, (colloquial) pili-pala (cy), (standard) iâr fach yr haf (cy), glöyn byw (cy) m, pilipalod m pl West Coast Bajau: kelebambang West Flemish: vlienders m West Frisian: flinter (fy) c White Hmong: npooj npaim Wik-Mungkan: konkoniyang Wik-Ngathana: kalpakalpay Wiradjuri: buuja-buuja Woiwurrung: balam-balam Wolaytta: mukaw Wolof: lëpp-lëpp bi Xhosa: ibhabhathane class 5/6 Yakut: лыах (lïaq), үрүмэччи (ürümečči) Yámana: yamostálla Yaqui: baiseeboli Yiddish: זומער־פֿייגעלע n (zumer-feygele), פֿלאַטערל n (flaterl), פּיאַטלינקע f (pyatlinke), באַבעטשקע f (babetshke) Yindjibarndi: gawarliwarli Yogad: alibámban Yoruba: labalábá Yucatec Maya: péepen, péepem Yup'ik: caqelngataq Yurok: werrp Zazaki: perperık m, pılpılık, perpelek f Zenzontepec Chatino: kwiylīxí Zhuang: mbaj Zulu: uvemvane (zu) class 11/10

butterfly tape

Czech: motýlek Finnish: perhoslaastari French: pansement papillon m Swahili: kipepeo (sw)

swimming stroke — see butterfly stroke plane curve that looks like a butterfly

Finnish: perhoskäyrä

sensation

Finnish: perhosia vatsassa Tamil: பட்டாம்பூச்சி (ta) (paṭṭāmpūcci)

someone seen as unserious, flighty and unreliable

Finnish: tuuliviiri (fi)

finance: type of combination of four options

Finnish: perhonen (fi), perhosoptio

random change working through butterfly effect

Finnish: perhosen siivenisku

sports: type of stretch

Finnish: perhosvenytys

person who changes partners frequently

Finnish: elostelija (fi) Italian: farfallone (it) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations. Translations to be checked

Aragonese: (please verify) birabolas, (please verify) pitazana Argobba: (please verify) billambilloot Aymara: (please verify) taparacu Baagandji: (please verify) bilyululijga Gafat: (please verify) billambilloot Harari: (please verify) billambilloot Inor: (please verify) billambilloot Iyo'wujwa Chorote: (please verify) choqoq Iyojwa'ja Chorote: (please verify) choqoq Kistane: (please verify) billambilloot Kongo: (please verify) lumbebeba Maca: (please verify) choqoq Mentawai: (please verify) angiak Mesmes: (please verify) billambilloot Minangkabau: (please verify) angiak Sebat Bet Gurage: (please verify) billambilloot Silt'e: (please verify) billambilloot Wichí Lhamtés Güisnay: (please verify) choqoq Wichí Lhamtés Nocten: (please verify) choqoq Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz: (please verify) choqoq Zay: (please verify) billambilloot

Verb

[edit]

butterfly (third-person singular simple present butterflies, present participle butterflying, simple past and past participle butterflied)

1. (transitive) To cut (food) almost entirely in half and spread the halves apart, in a shape suggesting the wings of a butterfly. butterflied shrimp Butterfly the chicken before you grill it.
2. (transitive) To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across (a gaping wound) to close it.
   • 2006, Paul Garber, Newton's Force, page 256:After everyone had obeyed his commands, the lieutenant motioned for two medics that now appeared to enter the room and attend to Dr. Carter. They bandaged him up, butterflying some of the deeper gashes and gave him a couple of shots.
3. (transitive, of the point of divergence of an alternate history scenario) To cause events after the point of divergence to not happen as they did in real history, and people conceived after the point of divergence to not exist in recognizable form, due to the random variations introduced by the butterfly effect. Pearl Harbor not happening would've butterflied Taylor Swift.

See also

[edit]

• caterpillar
• flutterby
• moth
• Appendix:Animals
• Appendix:English collective nouns

extant orders of insects in English

• jumping bristletails, archaeognathans (Archaeognatha)
• cockroaches and termites, blattodeans (Blattodea)
• beetles, coleopterans (Coleoptera)
• earwigs, dermapterans (Dermaptera)
• flies, dipterans (Diptera)
• webspinners, embiopterans (Embioptera)
• mayflies, ephemeropterans (Ephemeroptera)
• ice crawlers, grylloblattodeans (Grylloblattodea)
• true bugs, hemipterans (Hemiptera)
• hymenopterans (ants, bees, wasps, etc.) (Hymenoptera)
• butterflies and moths, lepidopterans (Lepidoptera)
• mantises, mantodeans (Mantodea)
• mantophasmids (Mantophasmatodea)
• scorpionflies, mecopterans (Mecoptera)
• megalopterans (alderflies, dobsonflies, fishflies, etc.) (Megaloptera)
• neuropterans (antlions, lacewings, mantisflies, etc.) (Neuroptera)
• damselflies and dragonflies, odonatans (Odonata)
• orthopterans (crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, etc.) (Orthoptera)
• stick insects, phasmatodeans (Phasmatodea)
• stoneflies, plecopterans (Plecoptera)
• booklice, psocodeans (Psocodea)
• snakeflies, raphidiopterans (Raphidioptera)
• fleas, siphonapterans (Siphonaptera)
• strepsipterans (Strepsiptera)
• thrips, thysanopterans (Thysanoptera)
• caddis flies, trichopterans (Trichoptera)
• zorapterans (Zoraptera)
• silverfish, zygentomans (Zygentoma)

References

[edit]

1. ^ Ringe, Donald (2006), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎[1], Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 232

Further reading

[edit]

• Category:butterfly on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• butterfly on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

[edit]

• flutterby

Danish

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

butterfly c (singular definite butterflyen, plural indefinite butterfly)

1. bowtie

Inflection

[edit] Declension of butterfly

commongender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	butterfly	butterflyen	butterfly	butterflyene
genitive	butterflys	butterflyens	butterflys	butterflyenes