Etymology

From Old Swedish fiädhal, from Old Norse fiðrildi from the older term fífrildi, from Proto-Germanic *fifaldǭ *fīfildǭ ‎(“butterfly”), from Proto-Indo-European *pāpel-, *pe(i)pel- ‎(“butterfly”). The term fiðrildi came through the folk etymology that it was related to the Old Norse word fiðri ‎(“feathers”) (compare the more modern Old Norse fiðr), from which the Icelandic fiður ‎(“feathers, down”) came.

Cognate with Old High German fīvaltra (> Middle High German viveltre > provincial German feifalter); Old English fīffealde or fifealde; Icelandic fiðrildi; Norwegian fivreld or fibrelde and Latin pāpiliō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfjɛːˌrɪl/