why is Butterfly called a Butterfly whn they flutterby?

Answer 1

good Q!

Answer 2

The following came from http://www.insects.org

Here's a little bagatelle (or, very imprecisely, a bugatelle!) of entomology etymology. I've long been fascinated by the large variety of distinct words for "butterfly" in various Indo-European languages. Here is my butterfly collection, which I hope will be of more than "e-vanessa-nt" interest.

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"Butterfly" in English


Middle English buterflie, Old English buttorfleoge (written citation 1000 C.E.)

The Oxford English Dictionary notes some old Dutch words "botervlieg" and "boterschijte", and conjectures that butterflies' excrement may have been thought to resemble butter, hence giving the name "butter-****", then "butter-fly".

Webster's Third New International Dictionary says perhaps the word comes from the notion that butterflies, or witches in that form, stole milk and butter (see German "Schmetterling" below).

However I always have thought they should be called flutterbys too...almost every little kid I've ever been around has started out calling them flutterbys...maybe we should just start a small revolution..my grandson calls bubble gum..gubblebum...which I kind of like better too. :)

Answer 3

Here's what answers.com has to say on the matter of the origin of the word "butterfly".

"Etymology

The Old English word for butterfly was buttorfleoge apparently because butterflies were thought to steal milk. A similar word occurs in Dutch and German originating from the same belief. This is believed to have led to the evolution of its present name form - butterfly.[2]

An alternative folk etymology, prevalent in Great Britain, is that it originated as a contraction of butter-coloured fly referring to the Brimstone Butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni, often the first butterfly of spring. Another such view is that the word butterfly came from a metathesis of "flutterby".[3]"

Answer 4

This is a cute question, but it may actually have an answer. 1) It may have originally been called a flutterby and through time transferred to butterfly (like Pennsylvania Deutsch to Pennsyvania Dutch); 2) It's an old English word I learned in entymology but don't remember that means something like milk thief (they were once thought to drink milk).

Answer 5

I actually have always called them flutterbys and in reality had to quit at the same time as i replaced into training my infant what they were yet sure that's what i imagine they should be called and that's what i do call them

Answer 6

They are also called a Butterfly even when they don't flutterby.

Answer 7

I was told somewhere that they originally were called "flutterbys"

Answer 8

Who knows .... because some scientist wanted to be reallly random and name something after butter

Answer 9

Why is a driveway called a driveway when you park on it and a park called a park when you can't drive on it?

Answer 10

Yes, they flutter by, but when they eat, they prefer butter on their fly.

Answer 11

yea! flutterbies would be better, wouldnt it?