Papillon
/ˌpæp.iˈjɒn/noun
A butterfly.
Did you know?French papillon comes from a Latin word for a butterfly, and the modern shape of the word was likely influenced by the insect’s fluttering, repetitive motion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to blow, puff”
Latin
Latin
papilio
“butterfly”
Old French
Old French
papillon
“butterfly”
Modern English
English
papillon
“a butterfly; also a toy dog breed named for its ear shape”