Silly names that are actually in use for animals

[alexis_orion]

@emilyd47

If you think about it, English “butterfly” is kind of silly-- what do they have to do with butter?

I heard somewhere that the used to be called “flutterby”, but it got mixed up somehow ;)

@robotpie

I don’t have the evidence to back up my claim, but I think the Chinese translation is directly borrowed from the meaning of the genus Hippopotamus, which literally translates to “river horse” or “horse of the river” in Ancient Greek or something.

River horse, yes. In German thy’re known as “Flusspferd”, which translates to the same thing.