| Language (Country): | Word: |
| Acoma (Native American) | buh’rai |
| Afrikaans (South Africa) | skoenlapper, vlinder |
| Aja-Gbe (Benin, Togo) | pkolinouhoin (PG) |
| Albanian (Albania) | flutura |
| Amharic (Ethiopia) | birrabirro (PG) |
| Anglo Saxon | fifoldara |
| Arabic (Standard) | farasha, abu daqeek(?) |
| Arabic (Algeria) | bofertoto, bu frtutu |
| Arabic (Morocco) | fertito |
| Arabic (Tunisia) | fartattu |
| Aragonese | birabolas(?), pitazana(?) |
| Armenian (Eastern) | teeter, titer, teeterneeg, teeternig
(PG) |
| Assamese (India) | pokhila |
| Austria | falter (common term) |
| Ayamara | taparacu (?) (PG) |
| Baagandji (New South Wales, Australia) | bilyululijga |
| Balinese (Indonesia) | kupukupu (PG) |
| Bangla (‘Bengali’, Bangladesh) | projapoti, prajapati (thanks
to Dr AA Rahmann, Melbourne, Australia) |
| Bambura | dimago |
| Basque | tximeleta, pinpirin, pinpilinpauxa |
| Bemba (Zambia) | cipelebesha |
| Bengali | prajapathi |
| Berber (North Africa) | tèfètuth (PG) |
| Berlinerisch (Berlin, Germany) | Schmettalüng (SG) |
| Breton (Brittany and Loire-Atlantique) | balafenn (SG) |
| Bulgarian (Bulgaria) | peperooda, peperootka (PG) |
| Buli (Gur language in N. Ghana) | kpalo? |
| Burmese (Burma) | lapia (PG) |
| Byelorussian | matylok |
| Cantonese (Yale) | Wùh dihp (SG) |
| Cape Verdean Criolu | gorgoleta |
| Carelian (Finno-Ugric Group- former province of Finland) | liippo, liipponen (JS) |
| Catalan (Ancient) | papalló |
| Catalan (Dialectical) | paloma, palometa, babaiana |
| Catalan | papallona (BL) |
| Cebuano (Philippines) | Alibangbang/kaba-kaba |
| Central Carrier (Western Canada) | tsangwelht’ah |
| Chamorro (Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands) | ababang (thanks to Diane Bachelder) |
| Chechen (Chechnya) | polla |
| Cheremissian (Finno-Ugric Group) | lepe, lepene (JS) |
| Cherokee (Native American) | kamama |
| Cheyenne (Native American) | hevavahkema |
| Cornish | tykki-Dyw (SG) |
| Corsican | barabulella (BL) |
| Croatian | leptir |
| Czech | motýl |
| Dagon | peplim (pee plim´) |
| Danish (Denmark) | sommerfugl (=summer bird) |
| Danish (N. Jutland) | sommerflue |
| Danish (S. Jutland) | skurvefugl |
| Deri (Afghanistan) | showparak (PG) |
| Dhivehi (Maldives) | kokaa |
| Djingli (Australian N.T.) | marlimarlirni |
| Dutch (Netherlands) | vlindeer; dagvlinder; vlinderslag |
| Dutch (Middle Dutch) | viveltre (SG) |
| Eischwiele Platt (West German dialect) | Sommevuel (SG) |
| English | butterfly |
| English (Middle English) | buterflie (PG) |
| English (Old English) | buttorfleoge (PG) |
| Esperanto | papilio |
| Estonian (Estonia) | liblikas |
| Ewe (Togo) | dyekpakpa (PG) |
| Faroese | summurfuglur; firivaldur |
| Farsi (Persian РIran) | parvan̬ or parvan̬h (stress on
final ̬-sound РPG) |
| Fijian (Fiji) | bebe (pronounced mbeh-mbeh, ‘eh’
elongated) from “A New Fijian Dictionary”, 1968 (Thanks to John Ragg) |
| Finnish (Finland) | perhonen |
| Font (Benin) | awadapepe (PG) |
| French | papillon |
| Fulani (West and Central Africa) | lilldeh |
| Futurese (The American Language in 3000AD) | batuhfle (SG) |
| Gaelic (Ireland) | féileacán, follican (PG) |
| Gaelic (Scotland) | dearbadan-de, dealan-dé (PG) |
| Galician | volvoreta, bolboreta (BL) |
| Gen (Ghana) | abèbe, abè, abey (PG) |
| Geordie (England – Tyneside region) | lowey (SG) |
| Georgian (Georgia, former USSR republic) | pepela (PG) |
| German (Germany) | Schmetterling |
| German (poetic) | Falter (PG) |
| German (Early New High German) | feifalter, sommervogel (SG) |
| German (Low German) | Botterlicker, Ülepüle (SG) |
| German (Middle High German) | Vivalter (SG) |
| German (Old High German) | Fifaltra (SG) |
| Greek (Modern) | petalou’da |
| Greek (Ancient) | psyche |
| Guarani (A dialect in Paraguay) | panambi (XI) |
| Gujarati (India) | patangeo, patangiyu (PG) |
| Gurage (Ethiopia) | billambilloot (PG) |
| Hadiya (Ethiopia) | birabira (PG) |
| Hanty or Ostjak (Finno-Ugric Group Ob-Ugrian branch) | lepentaj (JS) |
| Hausa (Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cóte D´ivoire (Ivory Coast), Togo, Benin, Cameroon and Ghana) | bude littafi, malam bu’de littafi (PG) |
| Hawaiian (Hawaii) | pulelehua |
| Hebrew (Israel) | parpar |
| Hessian (Germany) | Schmedderling (SG) |
| Hindi (India) | titli; thithili |
| Hmong (Vietnam) | npau npaim |
| Hopi (Native American – USA) | povolhoya (monarch: hookona) |
| Huastec (Mexico) | lemtutu |
| Hungarian (Hungary) | lepke
pillango, pillangok (pl) |
| Ibu (Nigeria) | olookolombooka (PG) |
| Icelandic (Iceland) | fiðrildi (SG) |
| Icelandic (Old Iceland) | fÃfrildi (SG) |
| Ido (a ‘universal’ second language) | papiliono (SG) |
| Igbo (Nigeria) | ihe n’efe-efe or uru baba |
| Ila (Zambia) | inkongolo; sikapempenya |
| Ilocano (Phillipines) | kulibangbang |
| Indonesian | kupu-kupu, rama rama |
| Interlingua (a universal second language) | papilion (SG) |
| Interlingue (a universal second language) | papilio (SG) |
| Inuit (Greenland) | pakkaluak; paluak; utsuppaluak; takalekisa |
| Inupiak (Alaskan native language) | taqalukisaq |
| Irish | féileacán (In phonetic English pronounced “faylacawn” |
| Italian (Italy) | farfalla |
| Italian (Neapolitan) | palomma |
| Jacaltec (Mexico) | nam |
| Japanese (Japan) | choo; chou chou; chocho |
| Javanese | kupu |
| J̬rriais (form of the Norman language spoken in Jersey, Channel Islands Рin decline) | papillote (SG) |
| JÃvaro (Amazonian lowlands, Ecuador to Peru) | wámpishuk |
| Kaibab Paiute (Native American) | aïcïvïtsi (ï = barred-i, c = long-s) |
| Kalderash Romanes “Gypsy” | peperuga |
| Kamaba (Kenya) | kimbalut’ya (PG) |
| Kambaata (Ethiopia) | bilatishu (PG) |
| Kannada (South India) | chitta (“spots”), baruthe, barutha
(PG) |
| Karok (NW California, nearly extinct) | xatimniim |
| Kashmiri (India/Pakistan) | titili (PG) |
| Kazakh (Kazakhstan) | kobelek |
| Kikongo (Congo Brazaville) | lumbebeba (PG) |
| Kikuyu (Kenya) | kihuruta (PG) |
| Kinyarwanda (Rwanda) | ikinyugunyugu |
| Kirundi (Burundi) | ikinyugunyugu |
| Kisuaheli (Suaheli ) | ikinyugunyugu |
| Kitaita | kifurute |
| Koasati (Native American – AL, LA, TX – USA) | hacokpalpa |
| Kokani (India) | pakho (PG) |
| Konni (Gur language in N. Ghana) | kpanjabi? |
| Korean (Korea) | nahby; nabi |
| Kroboo (Ghana) | kutuu (PG) |
| Kurdish (Turkey) | sepirek, pürpüruk (PG) |
| Kurmanji Kurdish | fepule, minni, tirtirk |
| Kwanyama (Namibia/Angola border) | onanga |
| Kwara’áe: (a language of the Pacific) | bébe |
| Kyaka Enga (East New Guinea Highlands)/TD>
| maemae |
| Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzstan) | göpölök |
| Lakhotah Sioux (Native American) | kimimila (key-me’-me-lah) |
| Lamba (Zambia) | ici-pempele |
| Lan (a language of the Pacific) | bébe |
| Lao (Laos) | meng kabeua; maingkabula |
| Latin | papilio |
| Latvian (Latvia) | taurins; tauriøð |
| Lihua (Sudan) | ukulukula (PG) |
| Limburgish (Limburg and Rhineland regions) | vlinder, piepel (SG) |
| Lingala (Democratic Republic of Congo) | kipouzala (PG); mpornboli |
| Lithuanian (Lithuania) | drugelis; peteliske; petelishke |
| Lozi (Zambia) | sipulumuki |
| Luganda or Ganda (Uganda) | ekiwojjolo |
| Luiseño (Native American) | avéllaka |
| Luo (Africa) | oguyo |
| Lushootseed (Native American) | yubec |
| Luxemburgish (Luxembourg) | Päiperlek |
| Majang (Nilo-Saharan) | bimbilo |
| Majang (Nilo-Saharan) | bimbilo |
| Malagasy (Madagascar) | lolo |
| Malayalam (Kerala-South India) | poompatta (meaning insect like a flower) |
| Malay (Malaysia and Brunei) | kupukupu; ramarama |
| Malaysian | rama-rama |
| Maltese | farfett |
| Mandarin РPinyin | h̼di̩ (SG) |
| Mandarin РYale | h̼dy̩ (SG) |
| Mandarin – Wades-Giles | hu-tieh (SG) |
| Mandarin – Gwoyeu Romatzyh | hwudye (SG) |
| Mandingo (Ivory Coast) | vrievran (PG) |
| Manobo (Philipines) | kelivangbang |
| Mansi (Finno-Ugric Group Ob-Ugrian branch) | läpääk (JS) |
| Manx Gaelic (Isle of Man) | follican (SG) |
| Maori | pepeké purerehua’ |
| Mapudungun (spoken in central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche) | llampüdken (variant llampüdkeñ) |
| Maracucho (Vicinity of Maracaibo, Venezuela) | tara or tarita (XI) |
| Maranao (Philipines) | paroparo |
| Marathi (India) | phulpakhru, phoolpaharu (PG) |
| Mari (Finno-Ugric Group) | lepe, lepene (JS) |
| Masai | osampurumpuri |
| Mayan | pepen |
| Mayi-Kulan (Queensland, Aus.) | pardirr |
| Mekeo (Austronesian lang. of SE Papua) | fefe; fefe-fefe |
| Mekeo (West) | pepeo |
| Mende (Sierra Leone) | buwa (PG) |
| Micmac (Eastern Canada) | Miimiiges – pronounced “me me ges” |
| Mongolian | erveehey (SG) |
| Mopan (Mexico) | pempem |
| Moré (Burkina Faso) | pilimpiko; abaga (PG) |
| Motu (Papua) | kau-bebe |
| Mukuni (Zambia) | limpempele |
| Mvskoke (Creek – Native American) | tvffolopv, tvffolope |
| Nahuatl (Aztec) | paplotl; papalotl (PG) |
| Navajo (Native American) | k’aalogii (accent on “o”); ho’o neno |
| Ndumba (South Africa) | kaapura’rora |
| Nepali (Nepal) | putali |
| Neuro (Ethiopia) | mantech (PG) |
| Ngaju Dayak (Indonesia) | kakupo |
| North Frisian (North Frisia, Germany Рendangered) | schrubf̦̦gel, samerf̦̦gel (SG) |
| Norwegian (Bokmål) | sommerfugl (SG) |
| Norwegian (Nynorsk) | sommarfugl (SG) |
| Occitan | parpalhol (BL) |
| Ojibway (Native American) | memenghwaah |
| Oriya (India) | prajapati (PG) |
| Oromic (Ethiopia) | billaacha (PG) |
| Osage (Native American) | dsithato’ga |
| Ossetian (Ossetia, on the borders of Russia and Georgia) | gælæbu (SG) |
| Paipai (Baja California Norte, Mexico) | minmin, nyirwir, maskarap |
| Paiute (Native American – Western USA) | tsoapu |
| Paiwan (native to Taiwan) | kalidungudungul |
| Pakistan (Northern region) | palmandook |
| Palauan (Palau, Micronesia) | bangikoi |
| Patois of St. Thomas | zanimo |
| Peul (Guinée Conakry) | pucharlar (PG) |
| Peul (Mauritania) | bidilallah, bedelallah (PG) |
| Peul (Sierra Leone) | palapala (PG) |
| Pittsburghese (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) | dupa erfly (SG) |
| Polish (Poland) | motyl |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | borboleta (BL) |
| Quechua (Bolivia, Peru) | aliñuahi(?), urubamba(?), pilpintu,
pillpintu, pirpintu, pilipintu, pilhpintu (PG) |
| Rom or Kaalo (Gypsy language, Finland) | besko-chirikli (little bird) or deulesko besko-chirikli (God’s little bird)(JS) |
| Roma (Gypsy language, Slovakia) | lepetka (PG) |
| Romanian (Romania) | fluture, fluturi (PG); flutare (BL) |
| Romanish | fluture, fluturi (PG); flutare (BL) |
| Romansh (also spelled Romansch, Rumants(c)h, or Romanche (Switzerland) | tgiralla (BL) |
| Russian (Russia) | bábochka; babochka; motyliok |
| Samic (Native Lappish people in Lappland) | lablok (JS) |
| Samoan (Samoa and American Samoa) | Pepe (thanks to Ama Tuatoo) |
| San (Bushman language) | tha thava, tavalele (SG) |
| Sardic (Sardinia, Italy) | mariavolavola (PG) |
| Saterfrisian (East Frisia, Germany) | Flinnerke (SG) |
| Saterfrisian (Utände) | Flitterke (SG) |
| Senegalese | lupe lupe |
| Sepedi (South Africa) | serurubele (PG) |
| Serbo-Croat | leptir |
| Setwana (Botswana) | serurubele (PG) |
| Shona | shavishavi |
| Shoshoni (Native American) | waayapputunkih |
| Sidamo (Ethiopia) | bilach’a (PG) |
| Sign Language | interlocked thumbs, flapping hands like wings |
| Sinhala (Sri Lanka) | samanalaya |
| Sioux (Native American) | kimimi |
| Slavic | neveah (XI) |
| Slovak (Slovakia) | motýl (Thanks to B. Uhrik) |
| Slovenian | metulj |
| Somali (N.E. Africa) | balanbaalis |
| Sotho (Bantu language, South Africa) | sororomele; serurubele |
| Sorbian-Lower (Slavonic minority in Germany) | mjatel or mjatelik (diminutive) |
| Sorbian-Upper (Slavonic minority in Germany) | mjetel or mjetelčka (diminutive) |
| Soussous (Guinée Conakry) | chuani (PG) |
| Spanish | mariposa |
| Spanish (Ancient and Dialectical) | paloma, palomica (‘dove’) |
| Sranantongo (Surinam) | kaperka (PG) |
| Stellingwarfs (Ooststellingwerf and Weststellingwerf in Dutch province of Friesland) | vlinder (SG) |
| Sumatra Barat (Indonesia) | angiak (PG) |
| Swahili (Africa, Somalia to northern Mozambique) | kipepeo; kungu-urumu |
| Swazi (Swaziland) | luvivane |
| Swedish (Sweden) | fjäril |
| Swedish (Old Swedish) | fiädhal |
| Swiss German | Schmätterling |
| Tagalog (Philippines) | paru-paro |
| Tatar (a Turkic language) | kübelek |
| Taino | tanama |
| Taiwanese (Taiwan) | o’ -tiap (“moth” is ya-a |
| Tamil (India) | vannattuppucci; pattampoochi |
| Telegu (India) | chetakoka chiluka; sitakoka chiluka (PG) |
| Teso (Uganda, Kenya) | eporiporit (PG) |
| Tewa (Native American) | pojoaque |
| Thai (Thailand) | meng peeseua; pi sugnya |
| Tigre (Ethiopia) | tsenblale (PG) |
| Tigrigna (Ethiopia) | tsimblalee’a (PG) |
| Tiwi (Melville & Bathurst Islands, Aus.) | kwarikwaringa |
| Tok Pisin (New Guinea) | bataplai; bembe |
| Tshiluba (Congo-Zaire) | bulubulu (PG) |
| Tohono O’odham or Papago (Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States and northwest Mexico) | hohokimal |
| Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin) | bataplai |
| Trukese or Chuukese (Island of Chuuk, Micronesia) | nipwisipwis |
| Tshiluba (Zaire) | bulubulu |
| Turkish (Turkey) | kelebek |
| Turkmen (Turkmenistan) | chuturast, kelebek (PG) |
| Tuvaluan (Tuvalu – a Polynesian nation of 9 islands) | pepe (thanks to ST) |
| Tuvinian (Siberia) | khovagan |
| Twi (Ghana) | afafranto (PG) |
| Ukrainian (Ukraine) | metelyk |
| Urdu (Pakistan) | titli |
| Urubu (Nigeria) | iyenye, yenjè (PG) |
| Uzbek (Uzbekistan) | kapalak |
| Venda (South Africa) | tshisusu |
| Veps (Finno-Ugric Group) | lipikäine (JS) |
| Vietnamese (Vietnam) | buom buom; ho diep |
| Visayan (Philippines) | kabakaba |
| Welsh (Wales) | iâr fach yr haf (literally “little summer hen”); glöyn byw”(roughly “living glow”); pila pala; bila bala |
| West Armenian | titernig |
| Wik-Ngathan (Australia) | kalpakalpay |
| Wolaytigna (Ethopia) | mukaw (PG) |
| Wolof (Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania ) | lëpp-lëpp bi (SG) |
| Xhosa (Eastern Cape) | ibhabhathane |
| Xitchangani (Bantu lang. of Mozambique) | phapharati |
| Yaqui (Native American – USA) | vaisevo’i |
| Ygyde (an artificial language) | ykolobo (SG) |
| Yiddish | schmetterling; zomerfeygele (“summer bird”); flaterl; motyl |
| Yoruba (West Afrida – Nigeria, Benin, and Togo) | labalaba |
| Yucatec Maya (Yucatán Peninsula, northern Belize, parts of Guatemala) | pepem |
| Yup’ik (Alaskan native language) | Caqelngataq |
| Yurok (Native American, northwest California) | wrrp |
| Zulu (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) | iveveshane; uvemvane; ijubajubane; itwabitwabi |
| !Xu (Bushman language
of the Kalahari Desert |
Dhad’hama |