6 insects and other animals with names of curious origin

Discovering the origin of words is a curious and sometimes surprising task. The term insect, for example, comes from Latin insect, meaning “to cut into parts.” Contrary to what we can imagine, this does not happen because some of these beings cut leaves, but because their bodies are divided, segmented into parts.

Discover, below, the curious origin of the names of 6 animals, some which are insects and others which are commonly confused with them.

1. Fly, mosquito, butuca

The word “fly”, which later became “mosquito” in Portuguese, has its origins in Latin fly. It is believed that the term derives exclusively from the suffix muwhich could result from imitating the buzzing of the insect’s wings.

Closer are the terms “mutuca”, “butuca” or “motuca”, which derive from tupi mu’tukameaning “to prick, pierce or strike”.

2. Moth

The term moth has Castilian origins and is composed of the suffix seasof Mary, and the imperative poses, meaning “lands”. In Portugal, the word is used interchangeably for moths and butterflies; In Brazil this distinction was created between insects of the order Lepidoptera.

Butterflies have diurnal habits, antennae and when they land they leave their wings vertical. Moths have nocturnal habits, different antennae, often rounded and when they land they leave their wings in a horizontal direction.

3. Spider

The spider is not an insect: according to biological classification it is considered an arthropod invertebrate animal, one that has an exoskeleton and articulated appendages. However, in the popular imagination it is difficult to separate the spider from other insects.

The word spider comes from Latin aranea, a term initially applied to designate the animal’s canvas. In time the word began to be applied to define the entire class of these animals. Its possible origin would be a derivation of the term arakwhich means “to weave”.

Currently, more than 44 thousand species of spiders are known in the world, most of which have solitary habits. A few species live in colonies and use group strategies to capture and share food.

4. Lizard and gecko

Even lizards and geckos are not insects, nor arthropods, but reptiles with bodies covered in scales and four legs. Both the terms lizard and gecko derive from Latin lacertuswhich derives from the Proto-Indo-European term leq, meaning “to bend or twist.” The term was applied because of the great flexibility of animals.

5. Locusts

Locusts are insects of the order Orthoptera, characterized by very large and strong femurs on their hind legs, which give them the ability to jump long distances. The term grasshopper comes from Arabic gaf’ameaning “contracted, with folded fingers”, a possible reference to the appearance of insect legs.

Locusts are commonly known as pests, especially for rural producers. A swarm of these insects can consist of more than 50 million individuals, who can eat the same amount as 2,500 people.

6. Scorpio

Like the spider, the scorpion is not an insect, but an invertebrate arthropod animal. The word scorpion comes from Latin Scorpioand from Greek scorpionsperhaps derived from the term skerwhich means “to cut”.

Scorpions are believed to be the first arthropods to conquer the terrestrial environment and much of this is due to their chitin exoskeleton, which prevents excessive sweating. There has been evidence of the existence of scorpions for more than 400 million years and it is estimated that there are between 1600 and 2 thousand species spread throughout the world.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.