German [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

Attested ca. 1500, standard since the 18th century. From an East Central German dialect word, equivalent to Schmetten (“cream”) +‎ -ling, due to an old belief that butterflies eat milk products or, in a more ornamented form, that witches transform themselves into butterflies in order to steal such products.[1] Compare English butterfly.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

IPA (key) : /ˈʃmɛtərlɪŋ/ , [ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ]

: , audio (Germany)

Noun [ edit ]

Schmetterling m (genitive Schmetterlinges or Schmetterlings, plural Schmetterlinge)

( in common use ) butterfly Tagfalter Sommervogel ( chiefly biology ) any insect of the order Lepidoptera, i.e. a butterfly or moth Falter ( swimming ) butterfly (kind of stroke) Delphin

Declension [ edit ]

Declension of Schmetterling singular plural indef. def. noun def. noun nominative ein der Schmetterling die Schmetterlinge genitive eines des Schmetterlinges

Schmetterlings der Schmetterlinge dative einem dem Schmetterling ,

Schmetterlinge 1 den Schmetterlingen accusative einen den Schmetterling die Schmetterlinge 1Now uncommon, Now uncommon, see notes

Derived terms [ edit ]

Derived terms Schmetterlingsblütler

Schmetterlingsfisch

Schmetterlingsflügel Schmetterlingsnetz

Schmetterlingsraupe

Schmetterlingsstil

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

^ Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen, 1993. Schmetterling , in: W. Pfeifer et al.,, 1993.

Further reading [ edit ]

Schmetterling in Duden online

Hunsrik [ edit ]

Pronunciation [ edit ]

Noun [ edit ]

Schmetterling m (plural Schmetterling, diminutive Schmetterlingche)