# Butterfly = lepke, pillangó



## franknagy

Do you feel a different usage territory of the two Hungarian words for *butterfly* =
1) lepke,
2) pillangó ?

Is one them colloquial and the other official and used mainly stoned proverbs like the synonyms of dog
A) kutya,
B eb ?


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## francisgranada

According to how I learned to use these words in my childhood, _pillangó _is rather a coloured and "beautiful" butterfly, while _lepke _is  a generic term for all the species, but preferably used  to indicate the white or yellowish "simple" ones (including _éjjeli lepke_).

(For me, none of them is colloquial nor bookish or used only in "special" cases like proverbs  or so ...)


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## Zsanna

According to the dictionary, pillangó is a _tájnyelvi_ (dialectal - if I'm right with the translation) or_ irodalmi_ (high register) word, meanwhile nothing like this is mentioned after _lepke_. 
I understand the high register (it sounds much nicer) but what is dialectal about it... I don't know.

Also, it is mentioned in connection with _pillangó_ that it is a "daytime" insect. (I suppose it means that it is active, visible during the day.) That could exlain francis's immediate association with _éjjeli lepke_. (Although there is also _éjjeli pillangó_ but that is the name for prostitutes. Not the same species! )


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## franknagy

The word _szender _is not generally known. Biologist use it for hairy night butterflies. 
The sport argot use both words: 
1) lepkesúly = flyweight (boxer),
2) pillangóúszás = overarm stroke.


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## francisgranada

Zsanna said:


> According to the dictionary, pillangó is a _tájnyelvi_ (dialectal - if I'm right with the translation) or_ irodalmi_ (high register) word ...


This is really surprising for me ... But let's turn back to the original question 





franknagy said:


> Do you feel a different usage territory of the two Hungarian words for *butterfly* ...?


I.e. how do you (concretely, as native Hungarians) use the terms _lepke_ and _pillangó_ in practice, independently on what the dictionaries suggest?


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## Zsanna

Yes, we should turn back to the original question: 
"Do you feel a different usage territory of the two Hungarian words for *butterfly* =
1) lepke,
2) pillangó ?"
If I understand it well, frank is asking exactly about what the dictionary gave as a possible _tájnyelvi_ usage of _pillangó_ (given that _lepke_ doesn't seem to have one). 
Although, it may not be the case given his post #4. (I just hope the aim is not to establish a list of words which we cannot do here.)


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## francisgranada

Zsanna and Frank, could you tell me, please, how do _you_ (personally, in practice) use these two words?
(I am curious about whether my spontaneous way of using the mentioned words is "unique" or rather common ...)


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## franknagy

I use exclusively _lepke_ for the insect itself.


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## Zsanna

I use both but it is difficult to define exactly when I use which.
(I try to follow an order of frequency.)
I surely use_ lepke_ either when it is really in the name of the insect (like in _éjjeli lepke, bagoly lepke etc._) or when there is no reason to "sound nice" (the insect is not pretty or the situation doesn't require a "nice term"). (A little bit like I'd use _macska_ instead of _cica_ - but that is also very personal so may not help much.)

So, from this, it is easier to see when I use _pillangó_: 1. when I don't have to give the exact name of the insect 2. when I want to or have to use a special, almost endearing term. (E.g. because I want to attract the attention to a beautiful thing or, speaking to a child, I want to use a nicer term to attract his/her attention to the natural beauty of the insect.)
If I wrote poetry or books (especially one that is emotionally charged or elevated), I would also use _pillangó_ probably more often than _lepke_.

But I don't think these reasons have anything to do with our local language use.


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## tomtombp

I agree with everything above and think pillango is the higher register version of lepke the same way as eb is to kutya. I wouldn't use either eb or pillango in everyday conversation. On the other hand lepke and kutya would sound too ordinary in a poem.


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## francisgranada

This is a bit surprising to me. As to "eb" I agree, but "pillangó" is a common/normal word for me.
(However, it's also true that during the last many years I haven't seen any beautiful daytime butterfly in my surroundings ... )


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## Niki14

Pillangó is the most beautiful, coloured, lepke is the simple one...


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