Where did the Word Butterfly Come From?
Millie explained recently what etymology means, and fitting to this week’s theme of Jump! Into Biology, we are are asking ‘where did the word butterfly come from?’.
Who hasn’t seen a butterfly flitting by and enjoyed seeing the flutter of its wings? But have you ever considered why it came to be called “butterfly”? Perhaps you have wondered whether there used to be a large number of yellow, butter-coloured butterflies who gave their name to the whole species?
Well, there is a nice little story attached to the name of the butterfly. In the past, there was a general belief that butterflies ate milk and butter. This probably came about because of the way that flies hover over any food at all that’s left out, and butterflies may have been seen hovering over uncovered pails of milk and butter. Not only that, but this belief developed to encompass the idea that butterflies were either sent out by witches to steal butter, or were in fact, witches themselves, disguised as butterflies. Quite why the witches were out to steal the butter, we don’t know!
The Fall – A Short Story in Three Parts – Part Three
This is the third of a three part story by 10 year old Alice. Read Part One and Part Two first.
My view is hazy, but I can work out the blurry shape of a nurse, standing by my bed. My eyelids shut; the light was stinging my eyes.
“Hello?” The voice is soft. I decide to answer.
“Hello,” I answer.
“I’m Josie,” says the nurse, pulling up a chair beside the bed. “What’s your name?”
“Kieran,” I reply, chewing my lip.
“Well, Kieran, you’ve been through a lot,” she says. She feels my forehead. “You had a raging fever you know. How do you feel now?”
What is Climate Change
You’ve probably heard people talking about climate change – at school, on the news, at home. But what is it and why is it so important?
Who Was Maya Angelou?
