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Altaic etymology :

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Proto-Altaic: *p`ép`a
Nostratic: Nostratic
Meaning: a k. of insect
Russian meaning: вид насекомого
Turkic: *apa-
Mongolian: *haba-kai
Tungus-Manchu: *pep-
Japanese: *pápái
Comments: An expressive root (possibly denoting originally some kind of locust or grasshopper), with some tabooistic changes in Turkic and Mongolian.
altet-prnum,altet-meaning,altet-rusmean,altet-turc,altet-mong,altet-tung,altet-jap,altet-reference,

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Turkic etymology :

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Proto-Turkic: *apa-
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: grasshopper
Russian meaning: кузнечик
Shor: abačaq
Oyrat: abačɨjaq
Chuvash: oba lǝʷbǝʷžǝʷ 'бабочка совка', oba nъrri 'медведка (насекомое)'
Comments: VEWT 1. Contaminations with abačɨ 'чучело', aba 'father > bear'.
turcet-prnum,turcet-meaning,turcet-rusmean,turcet-shr,turcet-alt,turcet-chv,turcet-reference,

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Mongolian etymology :

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Proto-Mongolian: *haba-kai
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: spider
Russian meaning: паук
Written Mongolian: abaqai, (L 3) abaɣaqai (Bur. and Kalm.)
Khalkha: avgaldaj
Buriat: abāxaj
Monguor: xāxǝ̄ (SM 151), xāxai
Comments: See also notes to *araɣalǯin (sub *ara).
monget-prnum,monget-meaning,monget-rusmean,monget-wmo,monget-hal,monget-bur,monget-mgr,monget-reference,

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Tungus etymology :

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Proto-Tungus-Manchu: *pep-
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: 1 locust 2 earth-worm
Russian meaning: 1 саранча 2 земляной червь
Literary Manchu: febsexe 1, febǵe 2
Comments: ТМС 2, 304. Attested only in Manchu, but having probable external parallels.
tunget-prnum,tunget-meaning,tunget-rusmean,tunget-man,tunget-reference,

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Japanese etymology :

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Proto-Japanese: *pápái
Altaic etymology: Altaic etymology
Meaning: fly
Russian meaning: муха
Old Japanese: pape
Middle Japanese: fáfé
Tokyo: hàe
Kyoto: háé
Kagoshima: háe
Comments: JLTT 395.
japet-prnum,japet-meaning,japet-rusmean,japet-ajp,japet-mjp,japet-tok,japet-kyo,japet-kag,japet-comments,

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Nostratic etymology :

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Eurasiatic: *ṗVrṗVlV
Meaning: butterfly
Borean: Borean
Indo-European: *pāpel-, *pe(i)pel-
Altaic: *p`ép`a; ? Mong. herbekei (if kept away from *p`ēra 'bee')
Kartvelian: *ṗerṗer- (/*perpel-)
Dravidian: *pilpul-
References: ND 1795 *ṗäRṗVẑV ~ *ṗäRṗVR/lV 'butterfly' (+ very dub. Sem.). Cf. NC *părVpăɫV 'butterfly, moth'.
nostret-meaning,nostret-prnum,nostret-ier,nostret-alt,nostret-kart,nostret-drav,nostret-reference,

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Indo-European etymology :

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Proto-IE: *pāpel-, *pe(i)pel-
Meaning: butterfly
Slavic: *pepelūšьkā, *popelūšьkā
Baltic: ? *papelut=
Germanic: *fīfald=, *fīfild=
Latin: pāpiliō, gen. -ōnis m. `Schmetterling'
Russ. meaning: насекомое (бабочка)
References: WP II 55
piet-meaning,piet-slav,piet-balt,piet-germ,piet-lat,piet-rusmean,piet-refer,

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Baltic etymology :

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Proto-Baltic: *papelut=
Meaning: night-hawk, moth, owl
Indo-European etymology: Indo-European etymology
Lithuanian: papelučkà 'Nachtschwalbe, Ziegenmelker (Caprimulgus), Nachtschmetterling, kleine Eule'
Comments: Possibly an indigenous word, transformed under Slavic influence.
baltet-meaning,baltet-prnum,baltet-lith,baltet-notes,

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Germanic etymology :

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Proto-Germanic: *fīfald=, *fīfild=
Meaning: butterfly
IE etymology: IE etymology
Old Norse: fīfrildi n. `Schmetterling'; NIsl fiδrildi `id.'
Norwegian: fivrelde, feväldre, fivel
Old Swedish: fiädhal
Swedish: fjäril; dial. feffel; dial. fjädɔlder
Old English: fīfealde (-falde), -an f. `butterfly'
Old Saxon: fīfoldara
Middle Dutch: vīveltre
Dutch: vijwouter m., dial. wiewouter
Old High German: fīfalt(a)ra f. (9. Jh.), fīfaltar m. (Hs. 12.Jh.)
Middle High German: vīvalter st./wk. m. 'schmetterling'
German: Falter m., dial. Feifalter
germet-meaning,germet-prnum,germet-onord,germet-norw,germet-oswed,germet-swed,germet-oengl,germet-osax,germet-mdutch,germet-dutch,germet-ohg,germet-mhg,germet-hg,

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Kartvelian etymology :

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Proto-Kartvelian: *ṗerṗer- (/*perpel-)
Nostratic: Nostratic
Russian meaning: бабочка
English meaning: butterfly
Georgian: ṗeṗel-
Megrel: parpal(ia)-, papralia-
Svan: ṗärṗold, ṗärṗänd
Laz: parpal-
Notes and references: ЭСКЯ 153, EWK 273. Экспрессивная редуплицированная основа (ср. ПВК *părVpăɫV, слав. *perperъka etc.).
kartet-prnum,kartet-rusmean,kartet-meaning,kartet-gru,kartet-meg,kartet-sva,kartet-laz,kartet-notes,

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Dravidian etymology :

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Proto-Dravidian : *pilpul-
Meaning : butterfly
Nostratic etymology: Nostratic etymology
Proto-Kolami-Gadba : *pilpul
Proto-Gondi-Kui : *pibul-
Proto-North Dravidian : *papl-ā
Notes : Expressive.
dravet-meaning,dravet-prnum,dravet-koga,dravet-gnd,dravet-ndr,dravet-notes,

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Kolami-Gadba etymology :

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Proto-Kolami-Gadba : *pilpul
Meaning : butterfly
Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology
Naiki : pipuli
Parji : pilpili
Number in DED : 4083
kogaet-meaning,kogaet-prnum,kogaet-naiki,kogaet-parji,kogaet-dednum,

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Gondwan etymology :

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Proto-Gondi-Kui : *pibul-
Meaning : butterfly
Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology
Proto-Gondi : *pīpl-i
Proto-Kui-Kuwi : *pibul-i
Notes : Bisyllabic root.
gndet-meaning,gndet-prnum,gndet-gon,gndet-kui,gndet-notes,

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Gondi etymology :

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Proto-Gondi : *pīpl-i
Meaning : butterfly
Gondwan etymology: Gondwan etymology
Muria Gondi : pīplī
Adilabad Gondi : piprī (SR)
Number in DED : 4083
Number in CVOTGD : 2231
gonet-meaning,gonet-prnum,gonet-gondi_mu,gonet-gondi_a,gonet-dednum,gonet-voc_num,

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Kui-Kuwi etymology :

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Proto-Kui-Kuwi : *pibul-i
Meaning : butterfly
Gondwan etymology: Gondwan etymology
Kui : pipili "moth"
Kuwi (Fitzgerald) : pūbūli
Kuwi (Schulze) : pubuli
Sunkarametta Kuwi : pubuli
Kuwi (Israel) : pubuli
Notes : The original form should look like that, before it became subject to various assimilations.
Number in DED : 4083
kuiet-meaning,kuiet-prnum,kuiet-kui,kuiet-kuwi_f,kuiet-kuwi_s,kuiet-kuwi_su,kuiet-kuwi_isr,kuiet-notes,kuiet-dednum,

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North Dravidian etymology :

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Proto-North-Dravidian : *papl-ā
Meaning : butterfly
Dravidian etymology: Dravidian etymology
Kurukh : paplā
Number in DED : 4083
ndret-meaning,ndret-prnum,ndret-kur,ndret-dednum,

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Long-range etymologies :

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Borean (approx.) : PVRPV
Meaning : butterfly
Eurasiatic : *ṗVrṗVlV
Afroasiatic : *bil(bil)-
Sino-Caucasian : NC *părVpăɫV
Austric : Tag. papaló ~ paparó
Amerind (misc.) : *pal(pal), *penpen 'butterfly' (R 103-104)
Reference : GE 45 *palpal (+ IP).
globet-meaning,globet-nostr,globet-afas,globet-scc,globet-austr,globet-amer,globet-reference,

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Afroasiatic etymology :

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Proto-Afro-Asiatic: *bil(bil)-
Meaning: butterfly
Borean etymology: Borean etymology
Semitic: *bilbill- 'winged ant'
Western Chadic: *bilbil- 'butterfly'
Central Cushitic (Agaw): *bil- 'butterfly'
Low East Cushitic: *bil(l)- 'worm' 1, 'butterfly' 2
High East Cushitic: *bil(bil)- 'worm' 1, 'butterfly' 2
South Cushitic: *babal- 'butterfly'
Notes: Related to *bal- 'wing, feather'?
afaset-meaning,afaset-prnum,afaset-sem,afaset-wch,afaset-agw,afaset-lec,afaset-hec,afaset-scu,afaset-notes,

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Semitic etymology :

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Number: 2364
Proto-Semitic: *bilbill-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'winged ant'
Akkadian: (?) bilbillu 'a kind of wasp' SB [CAD b 225], [AHw. 863] (pilpillu is given as an alternative reading). // Hapax in MSL 8/2 61:222-222a (= Sum. NIM.UR4.UR4). Rejected reading
Tigrai (Tigriñña): (?) bǝliʕ, balǝʕ < 'eat' (insect pest, vermin') K Tna 1096
Amharic: bilbilla 'winged ant' [K 865]; bǝl 3 LGur 139 (<Cush.?)
Harari: (?) bǝli 'moth that eats clothes' < *blʕ 'eat'
East Ethiopic: (?) Sel. Wol. bil 'moth that eats clothes' < *blʕ 'eat'
Gurage: End. Gye. Muh. Msq. Gog. Zwy. bǝl, Sod bǝlä 3 LGur 139 ("from blʕ 'eat, swallow'"). Cf. Sel. billāčča, Muh. bǝllač, Zwy. billanča, Sod. bǝrračča, Gog. Msq. bǝllǝt, bullačča, End bilbilānčä 'butterfly' [LGur. 139] are most probably Cushtisms (so Leslau [ibid.]).
semet-proto,semet-prnum,semet-meaning,semet-akk,semet-tgy,semet-amh,semet-hrr,semet-east,semet-gur,

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West Chadic etymology :

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Proto-WChadic: *bilbil-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'butterfly'
Hausa: bilbilo (in Katsina dial. also 'swallow')
Galambu: ḅil-iwi HSED No. 286
wchet-prnum,wchet-meaning,wchet-hsa,wchet-glm,

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Central Cushitic (Agaw) etymology :

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Proto-Agaw: *bil-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'butterfly' 1, 'worm' 2
Khamir: bil 1
Qemant: bǝl 2 LGur 139
agwet-prnum,agwet-meaning,agwet-xmr,agwet-kem,

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Low East Cushitic etymology :

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Proto-Low East Cushitic: *bil(l)-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'worm' 1, 'butterfly' 2
Oromo (Galla): bīli 1, bill-ačča 2 LGur 139
lecet-prnum,lecet-meaning,lecet-oro,

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High East Cushitic etymology :

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Proto-High East Cushitic: *bil(bil)-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'worm' 1, 'butterfly' 2
Sidamo: bǝl 1 LGur 138
Darasa (Gedeo): bill-an-ča 1
Hadiya (Gudella): bilbil-ān-ta 2
Alaba: bitl-ān-če 2
Qabenna: bǝtl-ata 2
Notes: LGur 139
hecet-prnum,hecet-meaning,hecet-sid,hecet-dar,hecet-had,hecet-ala,hecet-kab,hecet-notes,

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South Cushitic etymology :

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Proto-South Cushitic: *babal-
Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology
Meaning: 'butterfly'
Qwadza (Ngomvia): babal-iko
Notes: Partial reduplication
scuet-prnum,scuet-meaning,scuet-kwz,scuet-notes,

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