The word 'butterfly' again (and corresponding words in other languages): a 
new approach. 
 
Over many years there has been active but inconclusive discussion about the 
origin of the word. Many different origins have been confidently offered 
and vigorously resisted. There have been surprising, sometimes even 
bizarre, explanations (Dutch: butterflies' excrement) (witches as 
butterflies stealing butter) (Greek petaloudia: the shape of the butterfly 
resembles the Minoan labrys or possibly derived from ''pteroda'' by 
anaptyxis and lambdacism) (German schmetterling: dialect loan-word from 
Czech ''smetana'', meaning ''cream'', referring to butterflies' proclivity 
to hover around butterchurns) (English: butterfly from a metathesis or 
Spoonerism of ''flutterby''). Can the methods of historical 
linguistics be applied? Are the words sound symbolic, 
phonosemantic,phonesthemes? 
 
A few points from LISTSERV messages: 
 
William Beeman (who revived the discussion): 
''The curious fact that the word for ''butterfly'' was different for every 
European language. The explanation for this phenomenon defies analysis 
using the traditional techniques of historical linguistics. 
 
Larry Trask: Sound-symbolic words arise spontaneously and are not stable, 
are not subject to analysis by the processes of historical etymology. 
Efforts at linking some of the Basque words to words in other languages 
(and also to one another) are without foundation. 
 
Jess Tauber: The manner of beating wings, the often tumbling flight path, 
coloration, or propensity to go to flowers would be the most likely 
semantic areas to look in for root sources. 
 
The list of words for ‘butterfly’ in 204 languages on the website 
http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/saybut.htm 
offers an opportunity to test the application of the motor theory of 
language to the origin of individual words. 
 
The word for butterfly is a transfer of a gestural mimicking. The different 
words in the various languages are the result of a motor transfer from the 
gestural motor program to a structurally corresponding articulatory motor 
program, a manifestation of what neurologists have termed 'motor 
equivalence'. The words all derive from visual perception 
of the characteristic pattern of flight of the butterfly; the words are not 
arbitrary but reflect the structure of what is seen. The articulatory 
(motor) pattern of the word is directly related to the visual or motor 
pattern of an object or action; the gesture associated with each word 
mirrors the meaning of the object or action word. In the case of words 
listed for ‘butterfly’, the associated bodily gesture generated by the 
sound-structure of each word is a flapping movement of 
the arms and hands which represents the flight of the butterfly (a parallel 
pattern is seen in sign languages forms). 
To see the gesture associated with the word in many languages: 
http://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/butterflys.htm 
http://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/animalsnew.htm (butterfly and other visually 
distinctive animals) 
http://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/basicmotor.htm (motor theory principles) 
http://www.percepp.demon.co.uk/motorthy.htm (motor theory NATO/ASI)