Butterfly - how did the name originate

[nospam at chebucto.ns.ca]

> "Graham Dixon" <Troubleatmill at btinternet.com> writes:

>The MITCHELL BEAZLEY GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES OF BRITAIN & EUROPE
>Suggests that the term butterfly originated fron the BRIMSTONE (Gonepteryx
>rhamni) being known as the 'butter coloured fly' which was contracted to
>butterfly.
>
>The KINGFISHER GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES of BRITAIN & EUROPE suggests that the
>name originated due to the 'buttery' feel of the scales on the wings.
>
>Personally I would go for the Brimstone theory, I have seen it referred to
>somewhere else too but cannot just recall where.

The Brimstone origin seems first to have been published by S. Beaufoy in
his book: Butterfly Lives. Collins. London (1947).

Although its an interesting notion, historical research does not bear it
out. The venerable OED says that the definitive origin of the name is
unknown, however, it *may* have originated from the old Dutch
_botershijte_ (meaning "butter-shit") referring to the appearance of its
excrement. ;->

Hardly as romantic as 'butter coloured fly', however, ...

The development of the word is as follows:

Old English (AD 700): buturfliogae, buturfliogo, & buterflege
           (AD 1250): buterflige
	   (AD 1325): buterfleie
Middle English:       botrefee
Modern English:       butterfly

Best wishes,

Christopher Majka
Electronic Resources on Lepidoptera <aa051 at chebucto.ns.ca>

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