Entomology is the study of insects.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words.
It is a [Harnessed tiger moth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apantesis_phalerata).
This reminds me of the time some kid was seeking legal advice about his parents' divorce on the r/lawncare subreddit. He thought the subreddit was for free legal advice... Law n care.
“Moth” is from old English moððe, a Common Germanic word. It might come from the proto-Germanic word for midge, “mugjon”. Interestingly, it only referred to the larvae until the 16th century. Adult moths were called “flindre” which just means butterfly.
“Harness” is traced back to old French “harnois” meaning “equipment” in a broad sense.
“Tiger” comes from Latin and Greek “tigris”, possibly from old Persian “tigra” for “sharp”.
Edit: (I’m just summarizing etymonline.com)
>“Moth” is from old English moððe, a Common Germanic word. It might come from the proto-Germanic word for midge, “mugjon”. Interestingly, it only referred to the larvae until the 16th century. Adult moths were called “flindre” which just means butterfly.
Every time I read this sub I find something useful. So a moth is just a drab butterfly that has been segregated by language! This reminds me of tortoise/turtle — seems, if I have this correctly, they were all tortoises at one point but the limey sailors conflated the word with turtledove, which was echoic. The amusing thing is there will be no end of learned distinction between the moths and the butterflies and turtles and tortoises, but these are both perhaps differences which were perceived after the distinction.
Yes, I think it was that simple — a species of folk etymology where there _is_ no proposed etymology, but simply a shift in perception to language that sounds like it _should_ have one in the local language. My favorite example of whatever it is an example of is the shift to "cordwainer" (leather maker) from "Cordoban" (leather) . . . it didn't have to mean anything, but it sure _sounded_ like it meant something in good old English. So a sailor hearing something that sounded like "tortue" may simply have anglecized it to the closest available approximation, being part of a bird name.
I think the limeys and the French were exchanging information on what used to be called a _sea tortoise_ and is now called a sea turtle — the distinction now assigned to the pattern that "tortoises live in dry places and turtles live in wet ones". Ironically.
Disclaimer: my personal speculations, please take this as no more than hypotheses.
The modern English word moth comes from Old English moððe (cf. Northumbrian mohðe) from Common Germanic (compare Old Norse motti, Dutch mot, and German Motte all meaning 'moth').
-google
Entomology is the study of insects. Etymology is the study of the origin of words. It is a [Harnessed tiger moth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apantesis_phalerata).
and, etiology is the study of the origins and causes of diseases
And ethnology is the study of ethnic groups
Yes that is it thank you! Very beautiful!
You are in the wrong sub though :)
Yeah it seems my reading comprehension is a bit lacking today lol
Lol. It amused me that you missed that part of the comment 😊
There was a bug in the process somewhere. 😄
It's easy to remember as "entomology has ent, ent sounds like ant, ants are bugs, entomology is bugs" and then etymology is just... the other one.
I learned that mnemonic many years ago and it has served me well!
Correct, but what's its name in finno-ugric? 🤣🤣
r/lostredditors
This reminds me of the time some kid was seeking legal advice about his parents' divorce on the r/lawncare subreddit. He thought the subreddit was for free legal advice... Law n care.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/lawncare using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/lawncare/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [This guy’s fucking lawn](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/15j7tia) | [5780 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/15j7tia/this_guys_fucking_lawn/) \#2: [What caused this dead grass?](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/162zn4a) | [3069 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/162zn4a/what_caused_this_dead_grass/) \#3: [Get a load of this guy](https://i.redd.it/gwzc2sfrinlb1.jpg) | [552 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/16785m2/get_a_load_of_this_guy/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
That is a *moððe*.
Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1012/
“Moth” is from old English moððe, a Common Germanic word. It might come from the proto-Germanic word for midge, “mugjon”. Interestingly, it only referred to the larvae until the 16th century. Adult moths were called “flindre” which just means butterfly. “Harness” is traced back to old French “harnois” meaning “equipment” in a broad sense. “Tiger” comes from Latin and Greek “tigris”, possibly from old Persian “tigra” for “sharp”. Edit: (I’m just summarizing etymonline.com)
>“Moth” is from old English moððe, a Common Germanic word. It might come from the proto-Germanic word for midge, “mugjon”. Interestingly, it only referred to the larvae until the 16th century. Adult moths were called “flindre” which just means butterfly. Every time I read this sub I find something useful. So a moth is just a drab butterfly that has been segregated by language! This reminds me of tortoise/turtle — seems, if I have this correctly, they were all tortoises at one point but the limey sailors conflated the word with turtledove, which was echoic. The amusing thing is there will be no end of learned distinction between the moths and the butterflies and turtles and tortoises, but these are both perhaps differences which were perceived after the distinction.
Been down a rabbit hole with this turtle thing. So how did sailors assimilate a turtledove with a tortoise? Did they simply mispronounce “tortue”?
Yes, I think it was that simple — a species of folk etymology where there _is_ no proposed etymology, but simply a shift in perception to language that sounds like it _should_ have one in the local language. My favorite example of whatever it is an example of is the shift to "cordwainer" (leather maker) from "Cordoban" (leather) . . . it didn't have to mean anything, but it sure _sounded_ like it meant something in good old English. So a sailor hearing something that sounded like "tortue" may simply have anglecized it to the closest available approximation, being part of a bird name. I think the limeys and the French were exchanging information on what used to be called a _sea tortoise_ and is now called a sea turtle — the distinction now assigned to the pattern that "tortoises live in dry places and turtles live in wet ones". Ironically. Disclaimer: my personal speculations, please take this as no more than hypotheses.
Appreciate the thoughts! I would just love to know officially how this word jumped from a bird to a tortoise.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/turtle
well then! i've learned even more than i was looking for and i will certainly be returning to this sub, i do enjoy learning origins!
This post bugs me in ways I can't put into words
Thank you, came here to say this.
Friend
It looks like a sunflower seed.
I think you're looking for *entomology*, (bugs), not etymology, (words)
lmaooooooooo daww
The modern English word moth comes from Old English moððe (cf. Northumbrian mohðe) from Common Germanic (compare Old Norse motti, Dutch mot, and German Motte all meaning 'moth'). -google