英语词汇butterfly的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

butterfly. The Dutch early called the butterfly the boterschijte, which translates as butter excrement, or butter shit. They sup- posedly called it this because the insect leaves streaks of its yel- lowish excrement wherever it lands. There we have one theory about the origin of butterfly. A second explanation claims that the Dutch believed a little witch with wings frequently stole their butter, and therefore named the insect the butter fly. But though these are amusing theories, the butterfly was probably so named simply because the most common English species (the brimstone) is a butter-yellow color. Anyhow, why would anyone want such a wonderful creature to be associated with those other derivations?

词汇	butterfly
词源	butterfly. The Dutch early called the butterfly the boterschijte, which translates as butter excrement, or butter shit. They sup- posedly called it this because the insect leaves streaks of its yel- lowish excrement wherever it lands. There we have one theory about the origin of butterfly. A second explanation claims that the Dutch believed a little witch with wings frequently stole their butter, and therefore named the insect the butter fly. But though these are amusing theories, the butterfly was probably so named simply because the most common English species (the brimstone) is a butter-yellow color. Anyhow, why would anyone want such a wonderful creature to be associated with those other derivations?
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