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What’s in a name? (i.imgur.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

AWAIL (A while ago I learned) that butterflies are named that because they like to drink the fatty cream that form atop of fresh milk that's used to make butter.

This also goes for german. The Schmetter in Schmetterling has ethymological connections to Schmalz

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stop trying to make AWAIL happen. It's not going to happen.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

I tried to. But, alas, to no awail

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

They don't like the fat, it was just a folk tale that they do. They were thought to steal the butter for some reason.

An older, still regionally used German name for the butterfly reflects that: Molkendieb.