Schmetterling
noun · /ˈʃmɛtərlɪŋ/ ·Etymology
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. Compare English butterfly.
Translation
-
butterfly
masculine, strong
Oh, da ist ein Schmetterling!
Oh, there's a butterfly!
Ist es ein Schmetterling oder eine Motte?
Is it a butterfly or a moth?
Ein Schmetterling braucht für seine Reifung zwei Jahre.
It takes two years for the butterfly to mature.
- butterfly source:freedict-eng-deu-dictd
- butterfly source:wikdict-en-de-stardict
- butterfly; butterfly stroke source:dictcc-tuchemnitz-de-en
- any insect of the order Lepidoptera, i.e. a butterfly or moth masculine, strong
- butterfly (kind of stroke) masculine, strong
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Schmetterling | Schmetterlinge |
| Accusative | Schmetterling | Schmetterlinge |
| Dative | Schmetterling | Schmetterlingen |
| Genitive | Schmetterlings | Schmetterlinge |