For a non native English speaker, what do you imagine when you hear the word butterfly?

[Tarifa]

Danaus plexippus or any other related species

Musca domestica in the kitchen

[ohsheeT]

I imagine the highest peak of spirituality the feeling of freedom love and knowing I have to experience as much as possible within six to eight weeks and then I die so live life now and live free and experience give an understand the word of love

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

SCHMETTERLING !

I can occasionally think of flying butter, but I've never thought of a fly on butter lol

Please note that the french accent used there is not accurate. At all. 👇

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NcxvQI88JRY

[Tarifa]

Funny and very true. Shows how many French words slipped into the English language. There are many historical reasons for this.

I actually like the word Nilpferd (nijlpaard in Dutch). It just means horse from the Nile. As descriptive, but more poetic than the Latin based term.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Horse from the Nile haha, it's a cool one

It's also funny when English language seems to have borrowed and froze the meaning of a French word, at some point in time, whereas that word kept evolving in its country of origin, its meaning remained, naturally, static in English:

(FR) Bonnet = A regular woolly hat, worn by everyone
(EN) Bonnet = A type of hat, once worn by women or children

[Tarifa]

I think Hippopotamus actually comes from Greek, hippo + potamus, meaning “river horse”.

True. The same happens with old Dutch spoken in South Africa. It evolved from 17th-century Dutch dialects into Afrikaans, shaped by colonial settlers, slaves and over to the indigenous populations. "Cape Dutch" simplified grammar and absorbed Khoisan, Malay and Portuguese words.

French in Quebec evolved along its own route.

[purplepoppy]

Non natives may like to know the nane comes from the belief they stole milk and butter

[Tarifa]

Thanks. Didn't know that.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

To Filipinos, butterfly is called 'paruparo' and 'mariposa' there.

[Tarifa]

Mariposa in Spain and Spanish speaking counties. I like the words papalotl and papalot, which stem from the náhuatl language and are common in Mexico.

Papillon in French, vlinder in Dutch...

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Thanks for the MHO @Tarifa. :)

[Tarifa]

You're welcome.

[AvacadoOnRye]

Some cultures call a promiscuous man and butterfly.

[DryGermanGuy]

Butterfliege. 🤔

[oldman26]

It should be called a flutterby

[Anonymous]

Butter 🧈 and fly 🪰 lmao

[Jeff51]

Butterfly.