student asking question

Does the word "butterfly" a compound word of "butter" and "fly?" What's the origin of the word?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question! No one is sure about where this name comes from, as it has been used for hundreds of years. However, some people think it comes from the old Dutch word "Boterschijte," which means "butter shit!" So butterflies may actually have been named for the color of their poop, which is a light yellow similar to the color of butter.

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