2006-12-03 01:23:21 · 16 answers · asked by My name's MUD 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
You're almost right on both counts. The Old English word for butterfly was buttorfleoge because people thought they stole milk. This is believed to have led to the evolution of its present name form - butterfly.
An alternative theory, particularly in Great Britain, is that it originated as a contraction of butter-coloured fly referring to the Brimstone Butterfly, often the first butterfly of spring. Another theory is that the word butterfly came from a metathesis (changing the order of sounds in a word) of "flutterby".
Butterflies mainly feed on nectar from flowers. Some also get nutrients from pollen, tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt. So, no, they don't eat butter. :-)
2006-12-03 01:32:53 · answer #1 · answered by jammycaketin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Brimstone butterfly is the colour of butter. Uneducated people in years gone by, wouldn't have associated Brimstone with the yellow colour and so instead named it the butter coloured fly - or butterfly. Eventually the name stuck to all colours of 'butterflies'.
2006-12-03 09:41:49 · answer #2 · answered by Emma C-R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A 'Spoonerism' is the accidental transposition of initial letters, eg. "Bucking Fastard." The Mr Spooner of old commented, allegedly, on how they look nice as they flutter by. Being as he was, he said "Butter Fly" and, lo and behold, the name stuck. He should have just said, "Moth."
2006-12-03 09:35:06 · answer #3 · answered by cheaper_bills 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think butterflies eat butter, but I don't know why they were named "butterfly."
2006-12-03 09:30:00 · answer #4 · answered by BL 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
butterflies were earlier called flutter by. as people started mispronouncing them as butterflies, so they are now called butterflies.
2006-12-03 09:45:40 · answer #5 · answered by rewa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Almost. They like to eat flies cooked in butter.
2006-12-03 09:26:56 · answer #6 · answered by Oeuf 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think they eat butter. Think of all that cholesterol. Uggggh. I think they eat S U N F L O W E R oil.
2006-12-03 09:33:56 · answer #7 · answered by JillPinky 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Who are these people....that call it a butter fly, when it should be called a flutter by?
Who are these people....that like airline food?
2006-12-03 09:31:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes... And dragonflies eat Dragons,, German shepherds eat Germans, Poodles eat poo
2006-12-03 09:40:42 · answer #9 · answered by Roy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes they eat butter. that's what make them fly
2006-12-03 09:29:23 · answer #10 · answered by Zirconne 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋