papillon

Signification

1. butterfly
2. someone brilliant, versatile and inconstant
3. knot
4. Ellipsis of écrou papillon.; wing nut, butterfly nut
5. butterfly stroke
6. (colloquial) parking ticket
7. butterfly valve

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/pa.pi.jɔ̃/

Étymologie

From Old French papeillon (12th c.), byform of paveillon, whence the modern doublet pavillon (“pavilion”). Both from Latin pāpiliōnem. The form with recovered -p- may be semi-learned, but has also been explained as a native development due to onomatopoeia. Another possibility would be influence by a hypothetical Old French *parpeillon, from Vulgar Latin *parpiliōnem (cf. Occitan parpalhon). The swimming sense is a semantic loan from English.

Phrases

C'est un papillon des clairières .

It's a clearing butterfly.