# ladybird / ladybug



## pimlicodude

In England, we say *ladybird*. In the US, it is *ladybug*.

Russian: *божья коровка* (the divine little cow; /'boʐɪ̯ə kɐ'rofkə/)

Funnily enough, I looked it up just now, and the Irish Gaelic is quite like the Russian. The dictionary has: *bó shamhraidh* (= cow of summer; /bo: haurigʲ/), *bóín samhraidh* (=little cow of summer; bo:'i:nʲ saurigʲ) and *bóín Dé* (=little cow of God; bo:'i:nʲ dʲe: ). The latter corresponds to the Russian.

How do words for ladybird differ in their meanings around the world?


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## AutumnOwl

Swedish:
_Nyckelpiga_ - _nyckel_ - key, _piga_ - young girl, or servant girl, the keys are associated with Virgin Mary, who traditionally held the keys to heaven.
_Gullhöna_ (dialectical) - _gull_ - golden, _höna_ - hen


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## alfaalfa

Ciao
In Italian is coccinella_ "lat. coccĭnus, gr. κόκκινος > _scarlet colored_,  der. _ of_ κόκκος > _ scarlet"


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## pimlicodude

alfaalfa said:


> Ciao
> In Italian is coccinella_ "lat. coccĭnus, gr. κόκκινος > _scarlet colored_,  der. _ of_ κόκκος > _ scarlet"


That makes much more sense than the English equivalents!


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## apmoy70

Ιn Greek it's:

(1) *«Πασχαλίτσα»* [pa.s̠xa.ˈlit̠͡s̠a] (fem.) - - > _little-she-Easter_ (because it appears during the period of Easter, which in Greek is *«Πάσχα»* [ˈpa.s̠xa] (neut.) < Hebrew פֶּסַח /pésaχ/, _Passover_).

(2) *«Λαμπρίτσα»* [laɱ.ˈbri.t̠͡s̠a] (fem.) - - > _little-she-bright_, from the colloquial name of Easter, *«Λαμπρή» *[laɱ.ˈbri] (fem.) -- > _bright, brilliant, shining_ < Classical adjective *«λαμπρός» lămprós*. «Λαμπρή» is feminine, because as an adjective it modifies the noun _day_ which is feminine in Greek. 

(3) *«Κοκκινέλη»* [ko̞.ci.ˈne̞.li] (fem.) < Classical neuter noun *«κόκκινον» kókkinŏn* --> _scarlet red _< Classical masc. noun *«κόκκος» kókkŏs* --> _berry/grain of the kermes oak_, or _the eggs of the scale insects in the family Coccoidea, that live on the tree and resemble fine grains of wheat, used for the dyeing of textiles scarlet red in antiquity_ (of unknown etymology).

(1) is the most common name, (2) is dialectal, (3) is the formal/scientific name.


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## Yendred

alfaalfa said:


> In Italian is coccinella_ "lat. coccĭnus, gr. κόκκινος > _scarlet colored_, der. _ of_ κόκκος > _ scarlet


Same in French: _coccinelle /kɔk.si.nɛl/_
(borrowed from Spanish, according to the Wiktionary)

The _Coccinelle_ (with an uppercase C) is also the French name of the Volkswagen car called _Beetle_ in English, and _Maggiolino_ in Italian, quite popular in the 1960s.


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## Drakonica

Polish:
- biedronka [bʲjɛˈdrɔ̃nka]
from Proto-Slavic:
- *bedrъ (spotted)

also:
- boża krówka [ˈbɔʒa ˈkrufka] (God's little cow)


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## סייבר־שד

In Mexico, the only name I've ever heard (and used) for that particular insect is * catarina*. The DRAE lists it only in a diminutive form, * catarinita*, but calling it that here would imply endearment or very little size, the standard form is the one I wrote before.



pimlicodude said:


> Russian: *божья коровка* (the divine little cow; /'boʐɪ̯ə kɐ'rofkə/)
> 
> Funnily enough, I looked it up just now, and the Irish Gaelic is quite like the Russian. The dictionary has: *bó shamhraidh* (= cow of summer; /bo: haurigʲ/), *bóín samhraidh* (=little cow of summer; bo:'i:nʲ saurigʲ) and *bóín Dé* (=little cow of God; bo:'i:nʲ dʲe: ). The latter corresponds to the Russian.


Interestingly, "cow" also appears in at least  one of the Spanish names for this creature. My Oxford Spanish-English dictionary lists the term *vaca de San Antón *with the regional label _"(Argentina)"_.



Yendred said:


> Same in French: _coccinelle /kɔk.si.nɛl/_
> (borrowed from Spanish, according to the Wiktionary)


Interesting! In Mexico, at any rate, a *cochinilla* would only be this :


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## alfaalfa

סייבר־שד said:


> Interesting! In Mexico, at any rate, a *cochinilla* would only be this :


While in Italy it's the Saint Anthony's lil' pig


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## Welsh_Sion

*Cymraeg/Welsh*

We're with the Irish, Poles and Russians: *buwch goch gota

buwch* - cow
*goch* - red
*gota* - short


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## AutumnOwl

Danish:
Mariehøne
Norwegian:
Marihøner

Both mean Mary hen, compare the Swedish dialectical gullhöna, which is/was the name in the west and south of Sweden.


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## Terio

Yendred said:


> Same in French: _coccinelle /kɔk.si.nɛl/_
> (borrowed from Spanish, according to the Wiktionary)
> 
> The _Coccinelle_ (with an uppercase C) is also the French name of the Volkswagen car called _Beetle_ in English, and _Maggiolino_ in Italian, quite popular in the 1960s.


Also : bête à bon Dieu (good Lord's bug). It's the gardener's best friend, since it eats aphids.


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## Frank78

German:

"Marienkäfer" - Mary's beetle (the biblical Mary is meant)


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## Welsh_Sion

WHICH biblical Mary, @Frank78? Presumably, the mother of Jesus, but don't forget there's at least Mary Magdalen, as well.


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## Frank78

Yes, right the mother of Jesus.


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## Drakonica

סייבר־שד said:


> Interestingly, "cow" also appears in at least one of the Spanish names for this creature


Well...
https://www.agrofakt.pl/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/krowa2.jpg
https://pliki.farmer.pl/i/11/66/29/116629_r0_940.jpg
https://www.kalendarzrolnikow.pl/upload/image/v1/biedronki-Harmonia_axyridis01.jpg


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## apmoy70

Yendred said:


> .....
> The _Coccinelle_ (with an uppercase C) is also the French name of the Volkswagen car called _Beetle_ in English, and _Maggiolino_ in Italian, quite popular in the 1960s.


We call it a *«σκαραβαίος»* [s̠ka.ɾa.ˈve̞.o̞s̠] (masc.)  - - > _scarab beetle_, a boomerang word: Ancient Greek *«κάραβος» kā́răbŏs* (masc.) - - > _scarab beetle, scarabæus sacer_ (of uncertain origin) > Latin scarabæus > Byz. Gr. *«σκαραβαι̃ος» skarabaîos*


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## AutumnOwl

Frank78 said:


> German:
> 
> "Marienkäfer" - Mary's beetle (the biblical Mary is meant)


There are many other names for ladybugs in German, see The Folklore of the Ladybird by Col Hendriks:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...MQFnoECDEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Yd6b36kjNXNaRomaPgNfW


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## Welsh_Sion

Just a supplement to the Welsh above - terms which are in the dictionary, but are otherwise unknown to me, being a philistine from the remotest parts of North West Wales.

South West Wales, occasionally:

*buwch goch Duw

buwch* - cow
*goch* - red
*Duw* - God

*ladi fach yr haf

ladi* - lady
*fach *- small
*yr* - the
*haf* - summer

South East Wales, occasionally:

*buwch laethog

buwch* - cow
*laethog* - milch


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## Abaye

See also in this past thread: Ladybug


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## pimlicodude

Abaye said:


> See also in this past thread: Ladybug


Thank you. I did a quick search before posting, but didn't find that thread. Maybe they can be merged?


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## Roxxxannne

סייבר־שד said:


> Interesting! In Mexico, at any rate, a *cochinilla* would only be this :


In AmE, that's a _sow bug_ (not dissimilar to St. Anthony's piglet), a _pill bug_, or a _roly-poly_, depending on your regional dialect.


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## pimlicodude

Roxxxannne said:


> In AmE, that's a _sow bug_ (not dissimilar to St. Anthony's piglet), a _pill bug_, or a _roly-poly_, depending on your regional dialect.


That is a wood louse in British English, I think (not being an expert on bugs...)


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## Welsh_Sion

Woodlouse it is - but look at all these other names:

Woodlouse - Wikipedia


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## apmoy70

^^ We call it:

(1) *«Γουρουνάκι»* [ɣu.ɾu.ˈna.ci] (neut.) - - > _little-pig, _neuter diminutive of the MoGr neut. noun *«γουρούνι»* [ɣu.ˈɾu.ni] - - > _pig_ < Byz. Gr neut. *«γουρούνι(ο)ν» gouroúni(o)n* --> _pig_, diminutive of Koine (originally Doric) 3rd declension fem. *«γρωνάς» grōnás* (nom. sing.), *«γρωνάδος» grōnádŏs* (gen. sing.) --> _she-pig, sow_, possibly an onomatopoeia from the pig's snort *«γρῦ» grû*.

(2) *«Καβρομαμούνα»* [ka.vro̞.ma.ˈmu.na] (fem.) - - > _crab-bug_, a compound: MoGr dialectal masc. *«καβρός»* [ka.ˈvro̞s̠] (masc.) < Standard MoGr *«κάβουρας»* [ˈka.vu.ɾas̠] - - > _crab_ < Byz. Gr. masc. *«κάβουρος» kábouros* & *«κάβουρας» kábouras* < Koine masc. noun *«κάραβος» kā́răbŏs* - - > _crustacean_ (among others), of unclear etymology + MoGr neuter *«μαμούνι»* [ma.ˈmu.ni] - - > _bug_ < Byz. Gr. neuter diminutive *«μαμούδι(ο)ν» mamoúdi(o)n* & *«μαμούνι(ο)ν» mamoúni(o)n* (idem) < Koine neuter diminutive *«μυΐδιον» mŭḯdĭŏn* - - > _little-mouse_ < Classical masc. noun *«μυ̃ς» mûs* - - > _mouse_.

(3) *«Ονίσκος»* [o̞.ˈni.s̠ko̞s̠] (masc.) - - > _little-donkey_, diminutive of the Classical masc. noun *«ὄνος» ónŏs* - - > _donkey_.

(1) is the most common name, (2) is dialectal (Cretan), (3) is the formal/scientific name.


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## Roxxxannne

Roxxxannne said:


> In AmE, that's a _sow bug_ (not dissimilar to St. Anthony's piglet), a _pill bug_, or a _roly-poly_, depending on your regional dialect.


I would like to add that when I was in middle school science class, one of my classmates misheard the teacher and asked nervously "How do they know to call them _sour _bugs??"


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## Penyafort

Catalan:

Standard forms
*- marieta *(the most general, widespread and common) [literally, "little Mary"]
- *poriol* (this is also standard, specially in the Balearic Islands, but widespread in a dozen of regional variations all over the Catalan sphere: _voliol, boriol, buriol, boriolet, buriolet, puriol, puliol, pupuriol, fubiol, juriol, _etc_. _[origin uncertain, but most probably formed upon a form from _volar_ 'to fly' plus the suffix _-ol_]

There are also some other minor local forms. But to my knowledge, _panerola_, the word given for Catalan in the other thread, is never used for a ladybug. The _paneroles_ are blattodea insects, that is, cockroaches.


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## matakoweg

In Dutch we call this insect an "lieveheersbeestje" = dear Lord animal.


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